MELINDA M. WALKER

MELINDA M. WALKER

Name: Melinda Walker
Office Sought: Lexington Housing Authority
e-mail address: melinda.walker [at] rcn.commichaelschanbacherlexpb [at] gmail.com (
)phone number: 781-863-2024

Community Activities: 

  • Board of Commissioners, Lexington Housing Authority 
  • Community Preservation Committee
  • Former Chair, Housing Partnership Board
  • Former Town Meeting Member, Precinct 8
  • League of Women Voters of Lexington

What is the role of the Housing Authority and what is the most pressing need in Lexington at this time?

The Lexington Housing Authority administers both state and federal public housing programs for low-income individuals and families. Our federal portfolio includes Countryside Village, a development of 60 one-bedroom units for the elderly & disabled, and 17 scattered family sites. Our state portfolio includes Greeley Village with 100 one-bedroom units and Vynebrook Village with 48 one-bedroom units. Both villages serve the elderly and disabled. We administer MRVP vouchers (Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program) and manage residences for handicapped individuals which are under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.

The best way to measure the need for more low-income and affordable housing in Lexington is to review the wait lists for state and public housing. There are approximately 100,000 applicants on the centralized Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Programs, CHAMP, for state public housing units. In prior years over 3,000 applicants have indicated Lexington as a ‘preferred place to live’ on their applications. The wait time for a unit can be as long as 7 years for an applicant who is not claiming any emergency priorities. Preference is given to people who live or work in Lexington or who are Veterans.

The wait list time for our federal one-bedroom elderly units is approximately 5-8 years. The wait time for federal family units is significantly higher at 7 to 10 years. There are only 17 single family homes in our portfolio and the turnover rate is very low.

The Lexington Housing Authority manages 67 Section 8 vouchers issued by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. The wait time to obtain a Section 8 voucher is close to 15 years. Similar to the state public housing applicants, approximately 3600 Section 8 voucher holders in Massachusetts chose Lexington as a ‘preferred place to live’ on their applications.