Oates, Dawn v. Boston Housing Authority (SPR 20260964)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records March 20, 2026 SPR26/0964 Dean Papademetriou, Esq. General Counsel Boston Housing Authority 52 Chauncey Street Boston, MA 02111 Dear Attorney Papademetriou: I have received the petition of Dawn Oates appealing the response of the Boston Housing Authority (Authority) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On February 12, 2026, Ms. Oates made the following request: I request copies of all records from September 1, 2024, to the present concerning enforcement of the smoke-free housing policy, specifically at Ruth Barkley Apartments… including but not limited to any incidents, oral or written complaints, and enforcement actions regarding smoking inside residential units or common areas. Specifically, I request: [1] All communications, emails, letters, text messages, and notes among and between BHA staff/leadership and among and between BHA staff and residents concerning reports of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke at Ruth Barkley Apartments… These should include text messaging on personal cell phones used for work purposes to discuss related issues. [2] All complaints, complaint logs, emails, letters, notes, or other communications from or about any tenants at Ruth Barkley Apartments… regarding violations of the smoke-free housing policy. These should include text messaging on personal cell phones used for work purposes to discuss related issues. Please include the number of oral complaints made about smoking in this building. [3] All inspection reports following smoking complaints, inspection notes (handwritten, electronic, texts, or otherwise), violation notices, warnings (verbal One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832 • Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us

Dean Papademetriou, Esq. SPR26/0964 Page 2 March 20, 2026 and written), or lease-enforcement actions (e.g., notice to quit, etc.) issued in connection with any alleged smoking at Ruth Barkley Apartments… [4] All related internal memoranda, texts, case notes, original database entry logs, or time-stamped logs reflecting actions taken or decisions made in response to smoking-related complaints or enforcement matters at Ruth Barkley Apartments… [5] Any correspondence or filings with the Boston Housing Court relating to smokefree lease enforcement at Ruth Barkley Apartments… If no such responsive record exists, please explicitly state so. If no such data is tracked, please explicitly state so. These records should include all warnings, notices, or other documents that would ordinarily be issued to a tenant under HUD’s enforcement framework in PIH Notice 2017-03 (HA) (progressive enforcement from verbal warning to written notice to termination, where applicable). The Authority responded on March 2, 2026. Unsatisfied with the Authority’s response, Ms. Oates petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR26/0964, was opened as a result. Subsequently, I learned that the Authority provided a further response on March 19, 2026. Where this appeal was opened based on the Authority’s March 2, 2026 response, I will now consider this administrative appeal closed. If unresolved issues remain, Ms. Oates may appeal the substantive nature of the Authority’s March 19th response within ninety (90) days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Dawn Oates