Mayoral candidate Josh Kraft has voiced strong criticism of the Wu administration’s response to what he describes as “deplorable conditions” in Boston Housing Authority (BHA) homes, following a federal audit revealing significant issues.
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released an audit in February that highlighted failures in BHA’s management of rental assistance funds.
Kraft pointed to the findings from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audit, which inspected 36 homes and found problems in 31 of them.
He noted that over half of the inspected homes had ongoing issues that had not been resolved since previous inspections, and more than a third had “life-threatening deficiencies” that needed immediate attention.
The auditing period spanned from April 2019 to March 2023, with some data extended through August 2023.
Importantly, Wu took office in November 2021, shortly after the audit period had begun.
At a press conference held outside the Mildred Hailey apartments in Jamaica Plain, Kraft emphasized that substantial federal support for housing is dwindling while conditions remain unchanged at home.
He criticized the BHA for failing to conduct 37 required inspections in the fiscal years 2022 and 2023, arguing that this mismanagement must be urgently addressed.
In response, the Wu campaign strongly rebutted Kraft’s accusations, claiming that under Mayor Wu’s leadership, the BHA has undergone a significant overhaul in maintenance systems and leadership.
A spokesperson for the Wu campaign stated that open work orders have been reduced by over 90% in the last nine months, with every maintenance issue listed in the OIG report supposedly resolved.
However, Kraft maintains that many of the inspection issues have persisted for over the last two years.
The Wu campaign further asserted that their administration has allocated more city funds to housing than any previous Boston mayor, and they highlighted that BHA properties scored an average of 95 out of 100 in recent HUD inspections.
Additionally, Kraft described concerning living conditions, including missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, blocked exits, and broken elevators at the Ruth Barkley Apartments.
He relayed harrowing accounts of elderly and disabled residents being forced to sleep in wheelchairs, climb up to seven flights of stairs, or be temporarily relocated to hotels due to elevator malfunctions.
The Wu campaign, in turn, pointed out that over $60 million has been invested in the Mildred Hailey apartments for the development of new housing units, community centers, and play areas set to open soon.
At Ruth Barkley, investments aimed at modernizing ten critical elevators were also highlighted.
Kraft underscored the broader context, noting that the Trump administration’s recent announcement to cut federal rental housing funds by 40% could effectively end the Section 8 housing program for at least 8,000 families in Boston.
He vowed to take proactive measures to improve the situation, including hiring qualified city staff and collaborating closely with disadvantaged communities.
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