Commonwealth v. Alvarez

Maldonado, J.,

The defendant applied for, and was approved for, subsidized housing through the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), which entitled him to a rental unit at a rate below the market value. He was placed on a waiting list, and almost five years later, the defendant was notified of the availability of a subsidized apartment. By then, the defendant had already secured alternative housing for himself. Rather than reject the unit, the defendant pretended to take possession of the apartment for himself but actually gave possession of the apartment to his niece, who, as an undocumented…