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Councilor Murphy presses administration for full disclosure of down payment assistance recipients
Summary
Councilor Murphy said an information request under Section 17F for names, addresses, and amounts of down payment assistance grants since 2021 was answered incompletely; she cited Massachusetts public‑records law and requested the administration provide the missing details promptly for fiduciary oversight.
Councilor Gabriela Murphy told the council she had filed a formal request under Section 17F seeking a full listing of down payment assistance grants disbursed since Jan. 1, 2021, including recipient names, addresses, award amounts, eligibility criteria, annual disbursements and program changes. She said the administration’s initial response was late and omitted recipient names and addresses, which she said are public records that the council needs for fiscal oversight.
Murphy cited Massachusetts public‑records law in arguing the requested recipient information is presumptively public: General Laws Chapter 66, Section 10, and General Laws Chapter 4, Section 7, Clause 26. She said the administration must provide the withheld details and that the council’s fiduciary duty requires transparency on disbursements of public funds. Murphy asked for a complete response “hopefully before the end of this meeting,” and said she was still awaiting the updated list from the administration.
Action: The docket relating to communications on the down payment assistance grants (docket 0949) was placed on file for the record. Councilor Murphy said she will pursue the outstanding information with the administration and IGR (intergovernmental relations) staff.
