The Town of Wellesley depends on the active participation of its citizens in governance of the Town. Wellesley has 11 Boards and Committees on the ballot at the Annual Town election each year in March. The 2021 election will be held on Tuesday, March 2.
There are three candidates running for two open 5-year seats on the Wellesley Housing Authority. The WHA is run by a Board of Commissioners and is the principal housing advocate within its community, charged with planning and implementing a balanced housing program. In addition to planning, advocacy, and determining the needs of tenants, the board has the responsibility for placing the agency’s operations in the context of policy.
The Housing Authority candidates are Micah O’Neil; Janice Coduri; and Odessa Sanchez. (Here’s a link to O’Neils’s Q & A and Sanchez’s Q & A.)
The Swellesley Report invited the candidates to answer a few questions about their qualifications and priorities for the Town of Wellesley.
Janice Coduri, candidate for Wellesley Housing Authority
The Swellesley Report: What is your background and what qualifies you for this position?
Janice Coduri: I have been a resident of Wellesley since 1977. I am a retired librarian. I worked at the Wellesley Free Library as the head of the audio-visual department from 1985 – 1991. From 1991 to 1995, I worked as a library consultant. I returned to the WFL in 1995 as the Director, and retired in 2013. I have deeps roots in the Wellesley community.
The WHA is now rebuilding into an independent agency since the split with Needham in 2018. My management experience in the public sector gives me an excellent understanding of what the WHA needs to do both short term and long term to grow into an effective agency. I understand how town and state government works and have a mastery of budgets and finances in the public sector.
TSR: Given that the state eviction moratorium as ended, how can Wellesley best help residents having difficulty paying their rent?
Coduri: Priority number one is to ensure that all residents can continue to live in their residences during this financial crisis. There is also a need to create effective policies, provide support to staff as they master new systems being put in place by the Dept. of Housing and Community Development, and work towards an efficient budget process.
TSR: Given the economic instability currently at hand, what should be the Wellesley Housing Authority’s top priorities?
Coduri: The WHA has just received a report on the feasibility of future use of the Barton Road property. While this is just the beginning of a long process, it is an important first step for the improvement of all existing WHA facilities.
TSR: Is there anything else you would like to say that the above questions did not cover?
Coduri: I was appointed to the WHA Board in June 2020 to fill a vacancy. I enjoy working with the Board and the agency Executive Director and want to continue to do so with a 5-year term on the Board. My ultimate goal is to help the WHA become a model agency in the state.
TSR: How should voters reach you if they want more information?
Coduri: j.coduri@aol.com
