Massachusetts Fair Housing Center

Fair Housing is Good Business! Are you a landlord? Curious about the laws that impact your business? FHAM has created a brief guide to help you out! Find the pdf via our website:https://www.mafham.org/_files/ugd/db730a_d8579f02114942b49db5d512f97fe050.pdf

We hope to see you tomorrow! Don’t forget to get tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/3f30ca28-8ee3-495c-952d-d109b41f1783

Please join us for the second event in MFHC's 2024 Housing Justice in Our Communities Lecture Series! Justice 4 Housing (J4H) will provide an overview of their innovative Hands on Defense (HOD) Model, and how to join the HOD Network. The event will be led by J4H's Founder & Executive Director, Leslie Credle, and current constituent, and employee, Jose Lorenzo, SHARP Case Manager ("SHARP" is an acronym for the Stable Housing and Reintegration Program).

Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/3f30ca28-8ee3-495c-952d-d109b41f1783

J4H’s HOD Model is a people-led model that works to disrupt the discriminatory processes of Public Housing Authorities by supporting Justice-Involved Individuals facing adverse housing consequences (denials, terminations, evictions) based on criminal records or criminal justice system involvement. Experts in housing justice-impacted individuals, and ensuring family reunification, Justice 4 Housing has been 97% successful in reversing denial of access to public housing.

Come learn techniques and strategies to work to support community members, whether you are a formerly incarcerated individual, a lawyer, case manager, a loved one, family member, or anyone with an interest in "what different looks like."

The event will be held at The Holyoke Community College's Leslie Phillips Theater. Doors open at 5:30, and the event starts at 6:00pm. There will be light refreshments provided. Masking is strongly encouraged when not consuming. We will also provide masks at the event. Please stay home if you are sick. Thank you for keeping our community safe!

Please join us for the second event in MFHC's 2024 Housing Justice in Our Communities Lecture Series! Justice 4 Housing (J4H) will provide an overview of their innovative Hands on Defense (HOD) Model, and how to join the HOD Network. The event will be led by J4H's Founder & Executive Director, Leslie Credle, and current constituent, and employee, Jose Lorenzo, SHARP Case Manager ("SHARP" is an acronym for the Stable Housing and Reintegration Program).

Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/3f30ca28-8ee3-495c-952d-d109b41f1783

J4H’s HOD Model is a people-led model that works to disrupt the discriminatory processes of Public Housing Authorities by supporting Justice-Involved Individuals facing adverse housing consequences (denials, terminations, evictions) based on criminal records or criminal justice system involvement. Experts in housing justice-impacted individuals, and ensuring family reunification, Justice 4 Housing has been 97% successful in reversing denial of access to public housing.

Come learn techniques and strategies to work to support community members, whether you are a formerly incarcerated individual, a lawyer, case manager, a loved one, family member, or anyone with an interest in "what different looks like."

The event will be held at The Holyoke Community College's Leslie Phillips Theater. Doors open at 5:30, and the event starts at 6:00pm. There will be light refreshments provided. Masking is strongly encouraged when not consuming. We will also provide masks at the event. Please stay home if you are sick. Thank you for keeping our community safe!

MFHC’s Staff Attorney, Vineeth Hemavathi, was featured in MassLive for being a leader in his community! We are so lucky to have the privilege of working alongside amazing people like Vineeth in the fight for housing justice in our communities.

Vineeth Hemavathi advocates for victims of housing discrimination MassLive is highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders in Mass. during AAPI heritage month. Vineeth Hemavathi is a staff attorney at the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center.

2024 Fair Housing & Civil Rights Conference | LIVE AND IN PERSON!Western New England University, Springfield, MA 18TH ANNUAL Fair Housing &Civil Rights Conference April 10–12, 2024 2024 Plenary Speakers Tackey Chan State Representative, Massachusetts, 2nd Norfolk District Andrew Leland Author, “The Country of the Blind: A Memoir ...

MFHC is excited to invite you to a free screening of the recently released documentary, “Roxbury,” followed by a panel conversation. The panel will feature the voices of local organizers from Arise for Social Justice, Springfield No One Leaves, and Neighbor To Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund, who will be discussing the historical and contemporary impacts of — and community responses to — redlining, disinvestment, discrimination, gentrification and eviction, in Holyoke and Springfield.

The event will take place March 27th, 6-7:30pm, at 52 Sumner Ave in Springfield, MA. RSVP at:
https://bit.ly/mfhc-hjoc1

There will be be light refreshments provided. Masking is strongly encouraged when not consuming. We will also provide masks at the event. Please stay home if you are sick. Thank you for keeping our community safe!

MFHC will be closed Monday December 25 through January 1st. For housing discrimination complaints during this time: we are still accepting requests for assistance. However, legal staff will be unable to review your request until the first week in January. You can apply for assistance by leaving us a voice message or by applying on our website.

"Massachusetts Fair Housing Center Executive Director Maureen St. Cyr shared examples of several clients who had run into challenges due to their vouchers. One, she said, was told by a real estate agent that she could not rent a certain unit because the voucher required that it be free of lead, and the landlord was unwilling to pay for lead abatement.

Another tenant in Worcester who had lived in her apartment for over a decade had an eviction case brought against her after a new landlord purchased the building, and she was told that the new property manager 'didn’t want to deal with her voucher.'

'These stories happen every day across the commonwealth, and often vouchers don’t even know that what they are experiencing is illegal,' St. Cyr said."

Changes to rental vouchers in Mass. aim to improve housing choice for low-income residents The state is making changes to housing voucher programs to help those with vouchers access more opportunities for housing and avoid illegal housing discrimination.

MFHC is proud to be a part of the Fair Housing Alliance of Massachusetts, working alongside fair housing organizations across the state to end voucher-based housing discrimination through free legal services and education.

Awareness campaign targets illegal voucher-based housing discrimination A coalition of housing advocates launched a $500,000 state-funded awareness campaign Wednesday that looks to fight back against illegal voucher-based housing discrimination.

In 2023, our small organization received over 200 intakes from people seeking our help. MFHC's legal work has helped to preserve tenancies, prevent homelessness, create lead-safe housing opportunities for families with children, protect survivors of domestic violence and hate crimes, provide greater housing opportunities for recipients of rental assistance, and ensured people with disabilities enjoy equal access to housing.

A glimpse into fair housing advocacy at MFHC:

A tenant was facing eviction for having an assistance animal. They had previously sought their landlord’s permission to have the assistance animal but been turned down. We helped them advocate to their landlord and explain why they need the assistance animal. The landlord approved the request and stopped eviction proceedings

A tenant living in subsidized housing had requested a transfer from the second floor to the first floor because her daughter relies on a wheelchair. Property management had ignored the tenant’s request for months. We advocated to her landlord, and got her the needed transfer.

Another client lost her apartment in a fire and was living in her car because she had not found alternative housing. She had been on the priority waitlist for new housing at a local housing authority but was taken off it when she was not able to submit all the required documents within the deadline set by the housing authority. MFHC was able to get the client back on the waitlist and she was offered a new apartment within two weeks.

Want to support MFHC's ability to continue providing free legal services to people who have experienced housing discrimination? Here's how you can support MFHC today:

1) Donate directly to MFHC! https://bit.ly/donateMFHC

2) Are you a Florence Savings Bank customer? Vote for MFHC to receive a Customers' Choice Community Grant. Voting ends December 31st. https://www.florencebank.com/customers-choice-community-grants

3) Not only do we need your support, we need your help to spread the word. Please tell your friends and family why you believe in our work and encourage them to support us too! Find us on Instagram ().

MFHC is hiring Fair Housing Testers! Our next tester training will be early September, so get those applications in sooner rather than later.

Diverse applicants are encouraged to apply! We welcome and seek applications from BIPOC, multilingual, LGBTQIA+, and disabled individuals.

Questions? Contact: [email protected]

We’re excited to share that we will be facilitating a free voucher discrimination drop-in clinic. At the clinic, individuals will have the opportunity to speak with an attorney for advice on: how to advocate for themselves, how to seek a voucher extension, and filing a complaint of discrimination.

The clinic will be held on June 13 from 5-8:00pm. The address is: Way Finders, 1780 Main Street, Room 124B, Springfield, MA 01103.

Community Legal Aid is facilitating a CORI Sealing Clinic Friday, April 28, from 10-1:00pm. Check out more details below!

Workshop/Speakers | 2023 Fair Housing & Civil Rights Conference Workshop andSpeakers Information on registration Thank you for your interest in the annual Fair Housing & Civil Rights Conference. This year’s conference is held over three days with workshops and keynote speakers. New in 2023: Registered attendees will receive an email with Zoom links ...

Remember, registration is free and closes on April 7th! https://fhcrconference.com/

This year MFHC's Executive Director, Maureen St. Cyr, will be moderating a panel titled "Overcoming Discriminatory Challenges Faced by Voucher Holders."

Massachusetts is experiencing historic levels of housing unaffordability and inequity. Housing voucher programs are one tool that has the potential to meaningfully address housing instability and segregation. The goals of these programs have been stymied by continued, widespread discrimination. Panelists will discuss challenges that voucher holders experience in today’s housing market and legal approaches to overcoming them.

Registration now open!

https://fhcrconference.com/