Airbnb: Rent a room in the McCormack Housing Development

0.9 min readBy Published On: May 2nd, 2018Categories: News11 Comments on Airbnb: Rent a room in the McCormack Housing Development

Oh boy, looks like one tenant of the Mary Ellen housing development in Southie is in a bit of hot water.  According to a column by by Adrian Walker in the Boston Globe, this resident has been renting out their one-bedroom unit on Airbnb for $36 a night.  And people have been renting it pretty steadily since 2016.  Here’s a excerpt from the ad on the home-sharing platform:

“This is a real (ungentrified) Boston neighborhood. With real people inhabiting it. Everyone from here in my courtyard was born and raised in Boston. Might be a couple people hanging around having a beverage, but when it comes down to it, they will look out for you more than themselves.”

There have been over 131 reviews on Airbnb for this unit – and in most of these reviews, people enjoyed their stay in the “oldest public housing development” in the city. 

Needless to say, the Boston Housing Authority has started the process to evict the tenant.   

On a side note, we  have to give the tenant an A for effort on being resourceful and entrepreneurial. 

11 Comments

  1. Not so New to the Hood May 2, 2018 at 10:16 am - Reply

    Give them an inch and they take a mile.

  2. SBMarty May 2, 2018 at 10:45 am - Reply

    Someone’s loosing their housing real quick!

  3. Louie May 2, 2018 at 11:25 am - Reply

    And I quote……”On a side note, we have to give the tenant an A for effort on being resourceful and entrepreneurial.”
    —————————————–
    Yugh right!…….An ‘A’ for effort and a don’t let the door hit your ass on the way to JAIL….If the Tenant want’s to be a landlord the THIEF should buy a House and not steal from the BHA……The THIEF deserves NO PRAISE and belongs in jail for this crime……

    • Not so New to the Hood May 2, 2018 at 4:14 pm - Reply

      …and we can give the BHA an ‘F’ for effort, competency & the general state of affairs.

      • Maureen May 8, 2018 at 4:14 pm - Reply

        How trrue

  4. Ruth Ann Hendricks May 3, 2018 at 8:54 am - Reply

    This has been going on for years. Don’t need airbnb to help. Friends, relatives come, pay the authorized tenant to stay their apartment in public housing while the,REAL tenant goes back to whatever country on a “paid” vacation for awhile. Wake up, America

  5. SBHS class of 1969 May 3, 2018 at 9:06 am - Reply

    Hummm..what have I been saying for the longest time, “friends& family” who are NOT on lease staying as a guest of THE TAXPAYERS for free..!

  6. bill robbins May 3, 2018 at 1:00 pm - Reply

    This person will be losing this affordable housing and rightfully so.

    Hopefully someone who is in real need of this housing receives it and appreciates having a roof over their head.

    No one should be able to profit off public housing. PERIOD

  7. Rachael May 5, 2018 at 2:49 am - Reply

    Its so funny housing is mad cause some one stole their idea. Legit in 2001 college students going into a building were asked if they were moving in they said no the manager is renting out this apt. For a few months. The manager from the housing office was the name the girls gave. Now in a year or two its what is basically gonna happen anyway. Bill mcgongle is gonna rent some apts forb3 grand smh sad.

  8. Ellie May 5, 2018 at 9:31 am - Reply

    I got this nonsense going on across the street from me. Was told someone was being evicted and guess what? She’s still there. I say bring back housing complexes for seniors only. BHA is pathetic.

    • Maureen May 8, 2018 at 4:16 pm - Reply

      Again how very very true.. too bad the elderly, not to mention other neighbors, have to put up with this BS

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