Board upholds condemnation order for uninhabitable Lufkin Street home
Board of Health · Meeting of February 12, 2026
Essex Board of Health upholds property condemnation following inadequate housing conditions. Board of Health Administrator Erin Kirchner reported that after initial heat complaints on January 15, follow-up inspections on February 5 and 6 revealed multiple violations including lack of heat, no hot water, non-functioning toilet and stove, and blocked emergency egress at 33 Lufkin Street. The board unanimously approved the condemnation order issued February 8 based on Kirchner's determination, made in coordination with local police and fire authorities.
Member Peter Hoare commended Kirchner's work with the Disabled Persons Protection Commission to ensure the resident received appropriate care. Public Health Nurse Elsa Wright reported Essex is experiencing some cases of influenza and COVID-19, along with isolated cases of Hepatitis B and E. coli.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 455 words
Source: the Board of Health meeting of February 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 14-day free trial
Subscribe to Essex News to keep reading this post and get 14 days of free access to the full post archives.
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news