A message from a Boston Housing Authority employee last week that implied residents’ children could have better lives outside of Boston was translated in two languages before it was sent to thousands of residents, officials said, and similar language was posted on the BHA website, as Mayor Martin J. Walsh called for the employee responsible to be disciplined.
“I’m certainly not happy about it,” Walsh said yesterday. “There should be some sort of discipline, there’s no question about it. We’ll see as we move forward.”
The Herald reported yesterday a letter signed by Jonathan Tarleton, director of the BHA’s Expanding Choice in Housing Opportunities office, promoted the program to residents by implying Boston is an undesirable place to live. Tarleton has been on the job only a few months.
“You may be eligible for ECHO if you: would like to move to a community in Greater Boston with good schools and low crime,” the letter said.
Residents said the letter was insulting, and seemed to suggest the BHA wants its residents to leave the city. Tarleton did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The letter was first posted on bulletin boards and was quickly taken down, but Walsh said he and BHA Administrator William McGonagle did not know it was mailed out until late last week. Similar language was posted on the BHA’s website for the ECHO program.
Like many BHA communications to residents, the letter was translated into Spanish and Chinese before it was sent, according to a PDF that remained on the BHA website yesterday afternoon. The PDF was taken down last night. Language similar to the letter, which implied there are better options for parents outside of Boston, also appeared on the BHA’s official information page for the ECHO program. That was removed earlier this week.
Walsh said there should be consequences for the letter, but declined to say what that should be.
“This is very sloppy work with an employee and I know that Billy is going to be handling that situation,” Walsh said, referring to McGonagle.
In a statement yesterday, the BHA said it has opened a review of the letter and will decide on potential discipline after that is concluded.
The Boston Housing Authority is undertaking a complete and thorough review of the recent release of the letter regarding the ECHO program,” spokeswoman Lydia Agro said. “This will include a review of whether or not personnel action, discipline and or a reorganization is warranted.”
Agro also said the BHA is reviewing its “communications policies and protocols” in an effort to avoid unauthorized communications.
Friday, McGonagle said the letter was sent without approval, calling it an insult to Boston residents.
“That letter was not properly vetted and not authorized,” McGonagle said Friday. “I would not have approved a letter that describes that program that inartfully or that distastefully.”
The letter was sent to residents who have BHA Section 8 housing vouchers and have children under the age of 10, about 2,700 residents.
“It sends a bad message. That is not what the intent of that letter should have been and that’s not how the letter should have gone out,” Walsh said. “That’s not my message and that is not the Housing Authority’s message and that will not be the Housing Authority’s message.”
