A member of the Boston City Council wants the Housing Authority to explain exactly what happened at the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing complex, where four children were allegedly found hidden in the back room of an apartment filled with “alcohol, drugs, sex toys” and a dead person.
On Saturday, Boston Police and Fire crews responded to 381 Old Colony Avenue to a report of a person in cardiac arrest who required medical assistance. First responders, according to an incident report obtained by the Herald, found a filthy apartment occupied by uncooperative adults — reportedly dressed in drag — who apparently were hiding the presence of children from them.
“I filed this hearing order to address what happened at the (Boston Housing Authority) Saturday,” Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy told the Herald in a Tuesday text message. “It will come up at the June 28 meeting but I formally filed it with (the) clerk today.”
Murphy’s order, which she also shared with the Herald, explains that following Saturday’s emergency response, after which the Fire Department apparently reported their concern for the children’s welfare to the state Department of Children & Families, the city Council needs to hear from the Housing Authority on both how they are conducting inspections of public housing units and how they account for dependent children there.
The order directs an appropriate committee of the council to hear from officials in order to “assess the Department’s response procedures and protocols relating to public safety in BHA units, particularly the safety of children in BHA housing.”
City Council President Ed Flynn and At-Large Boston City Councilor Michael Flaherty will apparently back the move to hold a hearing, which the order suggests representatives from Mayor Michelle Wu’s office, BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok, BHA Police Chief Shumeane Benford, and interested members of the public should attend.
Requests for comment from DCF commissioner Linda Spears on the safety and disposition of the children found at the apartment were not returned. According to a spokesperson for the Boston Housing Authority, this is the first time their agency has received a negative report on the unit where an as-yet-unidentified person died Saturday.
“The Boston Housing Authority is working closely with the Boston Police Department as they continue to investigate the circumstances around the recent death at Mary-Ellen McCormack. BHA received no complaints about activity in this unit prior to the incident, but we care deeply about the safety of all our residents and are working actively with the agencies involved to take all appropriate follow-up action,” the spokesperson told the Herald.
A spokesperson for the Suffolk District Attorney’s office said that they are watching closely as the situation unfolds.
“We’re aware of the situation and investigation and will move forward appropriately should any charges result,” the spokesperson said.
