Housing Authority Cleaning Compactor Chutes After Fire

The Hoboken Housing Authority passed an emergency resolution Thursday to clean out compactor chutes after a fire was started by someone throwing cigraette butts in the chutes.

The Housing Authority met at Fox Hill Gardens for its monthly meeting. Fifth Ward Councilman Peter Cunningham also attended. 

HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia told the public, and the fellow members of the board, that there had been a fire at 320 Jackson St. on the tenth floor of the development. The fire, he said, was created after cigarette butts were thrown down compactor chutes. 

Garcia said that the HHA will be sending out advisories to residents, stating that throwing cigarette butts can lead to eviction. In the case of the fire at 320 Jackson, which occurred on Thursday night around 11 p.m., it started a grease fire. Nobody was hurt, Garcia said, but there was smoke damage to two units in the building. 

As a result of this fire, the Authority approved an emergency resolution to clean out the compactor chutes in all the developments. 

Monthly rent for the four police officers and the eight emergency residents who permanently live—and work—in the Housing Authority will go up. This was decided in light of a recent increase of the flat rent.

The police officers, who used to pay $250, will now be paying $425, said Garcia. The eight emergency residents will be paying $325 a month, up from $200. 

The police officers who live in the HHA will continue to live there, even after the establishment of the police bureau in the Housing Authority, because they are part of the national Officer Next Door Program, said Garcia. Having those officers around, the director continued, builds trust among the community. 

The HHA Board also unanimously approved a two-year contract for the Authority's Corporation Counsel Charlie Daglian. The new contract will be $5,000 a month. 

Then, some announcements: 

On Oct. 19, State Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack will come to Hoboken to set up a "mobile office." Check back on Patch next week on more details about Stack's mobile office. On that same Tuesday, at 6 p.m. Police Chief Anthony Falco will be hosting a Public Safety Forum at 221 Jackson St.

On Nov. 3 at noon, Garcia announced, the HHA will be dedicating the administrative building at 411 Harrison in the name of Edward DeFazio.