The South Boston Indoor Air Quality Advocates want to remind landlords and property managers that it is their responsibility to have window guards installed in homes and apartments where there are children under the age of six. This is true whether you are an individual, a corporation, or the city of Boston. The Mayor himself has recognized the need for child safety. But the city as a landlord has not recognized this simple fact. Many of the Advocates and residents know from their own hard-earned experiences that getting work orders completed is usually a frustrating business.
Residents find that when they call to place a work order there are language barriers.
The Old Colony and the MaryEllen McCormick Public Housing developments in South Boston have 500 children combined in the same age range. The BHA can produce a computer printout of all its apartments in which there are children under the age of six, but the BHA has not accepted that it has a responsibility to provide safe housing for all the children for whom they provide housing. They still insist that current residents must call in a work order before they can get window guards installed. Child safety, at least in this regard, seems to be a low priority for the BHA throughout Boston. Residents in other developments like Franklin Hill have also expressed an interest in joining our campaign to make child safety a top priority throughout Boston.