“Thank you to Rep. Michelle Ciccolo and Caileen Foley, Director of the Lexington Housing Authority.”

On Friday, March 21, there was a major power outage at Greeley Village, one of the state public housing properties in Lexington. There are 104 units of housing at Greeley Village for low-income seniors and disabled folks. The whole development was affected, including the community center. This was particularly frightening for residents who rely on electric power for their medical needs and for those whom English is their second language.

The restoration of power for this community was a complicated task, requiring the assistance of contractors to provide emergency power line repairs and provide emergency generators. Needing quick advice relating to the ‘ownership’ of conduits and such, the Executive Director of the Lexington Housing Authority, Caileen Foley, knew who to call:  Rep. Michelle Ciccolo. Within the hour, Ciccolo had contacted the government affairs liaison at Eversource to clarify which entity—or entities—was responsible for the repair or replacement of damaged equipment. Ms. Foley was then able to secure the services of two contractors to provide temporary power and to lay new conduit and cabling for reconnection. Following those repairs, Eversource reenergized the transformers and power was back by March 22. Ms. Foley negotiated with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to access ‘emergency reserve funding’ for the costs of equipment repair and restoration of power. These costs came to over $70,000.

But, there is still work to be done. Additional sections of the underground wiring at Greeley Village need to be replaced. Recognizing the need for additional funding for these extensive repairs, Ciccolo submitted an amendment to the FY26 budget to appropriate funding for these updates. The amendment was included in the House budget and now Ciccolo is working with her Senate colleagues to ensure the appropriation is included in the final FY 2026 budget.

Foley’s quick reaction to this emergency situation came as no surprise to those of us on the Board of Commissioners of the housing authority. She deftly worked her way through the maze of utility contractors, service providers, Town staff and state funding sources to find both short-term and long-term solutions to provide this essential service for the Greeley Village residents.

The working relationship which had already been established between Ciccolo and Foley certainly contributed to the quick and satisfactory resolution of this problem. Both deserve our appreciation for their continued public service.

Sincerely,

Melinda Walker

Board of Commissioners, Lexington Housing Authority

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