- Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
Boston — The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) last week hosted “Beyond Fair Housing Month: The Future of Fair Housing in Massachusetts” to close out the month with a proclamation from Governor Maura Healey declaring April as “Fair Housing Month” and announced a series of regional listening sessions launching later this spring that will be led by the state’s first-ever Office of Fair Housing.
Governor Healey’s proclamation acknowledged the Commonwealth’s commitment to the mission and intent of the Federal Fair Housing Act, signed into law 57 years ago, to provide fair and equal housing opportunities for all residents. To that end, the Office of Fair Housing was established by the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Affordable Homes Act to support fair housing initiatives and collaborate with other state agencies to advance fair housing policies and programs.
The speaking program was helmed by Secretary Ed Augustus, who was joined by EOHLC’s inaugural Director of Fair Housing Whitney Demetrius. Highlighting successful actions to create new housing opportunities through zoning and land use reform, Secretary Augustus emphasized the importance of policies such as the MBTA Communities Act, Chapter 40B, and Accessory Dwelling Units allowed by right across the state, which maintain local control while creating fair and reasonable housing opportunities for all residents.
“Fair housing is the foundation upon which we build thriving neighborhoods and livable communities, and our mission is grounded in these principles,” said Secretary Augustus. “As we bolster our work to support residents affected by housing discrimination, it is more important than ever to plan for the state’s fair housing future.”
Demetrius announced that the Office of Fair Housing will conduct regional listening sessions across the state to better understand and begin mapping the challenges and opportunities related to fair housing in each region and help inform the vision of the Office.
“EOHLC is committed to promoting open and welcoming communities in all 351 cities and towns so that the Commonwealth is a place people and families can call home, free from housing discrimination,” said Whitney Demetrius, EOHLC Director of Fair Housing. “The work continues beyond Fair Housing Month, which will be crucial to shaping the future we want to see.”
EOHLC was joined by lawmakers, policy experts, academics, and non-profit leaders working directly with clients on the ground who have been impacted by housing discrimination in Massachusetts:
Senator Lydia Edwards, Third Suffolk District
Representative Russell Holmes, 6th Suffolk District
Ashley Grant, Director of Fair Housing Enforcement at the Housing Discrimination Testing Program at Suffolk University Law School
Esme Caramello, Director of the Housing Affordability Unit, Office of Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell
Katie Einstein, Associate Professor at Boston University
Jacob Carter, Fair Housing Alliance of Massachusetts (FHAM) client and board member of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center
Kristina da Fonseca, Executive Director of South Coast Fair Housing Center
Rachel Heller, CEO of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA)
The speaking program was followed by a discussion related to current fair housing challenges and opportunities, vision for the Office of Fair Housing, and potential fair housing policy strategies to explore in Massachusetts. Tuesday’s conversation will be utilized to shape the framework for the regional listening sessions.
Massachusetts fair housing law, which is enforced by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) and the Attorney General, prohibits discrimination in any housing related transaction on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, disability, genetic information, military status, familial status, national origin, sex, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, source of income, and gender identity or expression. EOHLC currently provides support to fair housing initiatives, including those led by FHAM.
Speaker statements:
Senator Lydia Edwards, Third Suffolk District:
“I want to thank Governor Healey for her leadership in creating the Commonwealth's first Office of Fair Housing dedicated to affirmatively furthering this issue. When we celebrate fair housing, we are celebrating opportunities. We are celebrating healthier kids, more education, more jobs, and we are doing it through a foundation of housing.”
Ashley Grant, Director of Fair Housing Enforcement at the Housing Discrimination Testing Program at Suffolk University Law School:
“We are so grateful that we live in a state with such a deep commitment to ensuring residents have access to housing free from discrimination, and in Massachusetts we are leading the way in trying to protect fair housing opportunities. But we still have an enormous amount of work to do, so we are glad to have partners like HLC's newly created Office of Fair Housing and the Fair Housing Alliance of Massachusetts as we assist tenants throughout the life cycle of their housing.”
Esme Caramello, Director of the Housing Affordability Unit, Office of the Attorney General:
“Segregation and exclusion over the course of more than a century has landed us where we are – where we are so committed to our habits of exclusion that we can’t reasonably build housing in most places, and the housing that exists is not accessible to so many people. We dismantle this racist history when we do housing affordability work, and I am grateful for the leadership of so many who have worked for years to solve our state’s affordability crisis.”
Katie Einstein, Associate Professor at Boston University:
“Time and time again, Massachusetts cities and towns have found creative and effective ways to exclude people from their communities. I am so heartened to see policymakers, nonprofits, and advocates in our Commonwealth take forceful action to fight for fair housing. Safe, secure, and accessible housing is a fundamental human right, and enforcement of fair housing law is critical to securing that right for all.”
Jacob Carter, a Fair Housing Alliance of Massachusetts (FHAM) client and board member of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center:
“Housing discrimination upends your life; when you have a family with young children, things are already challenging and exhausting. When you can’t find a home it throws your life into upheaval. Thankfully we had support from Mass Fair Housing, we were able to pay for the temporary housing, and, when I was offered a full-time job in 2018, we were able to use the money from a modest settlement towards a down payment on a home. They helped us through an incredibly challenging time in our life and we are forever grateful.”
Kristina da Fonseca, Executive Director of South Coast Fair Housing Center:
“We honor the 57th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act, but we must remember that the passage of a law does not mean that the promise of fair housing has been achieved. It is the day-to-day fair housing work, the outreach, education, the investigation and advocacy, and the enforcement work that gets all of us closer to actually experiencing the promise of our federal and state fair housing laws, and declaring April as Fair Housing Month in Massachusetts contributes to that mission.”
Rachel Heller, CEO of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA):
“Massachusetts has a long history and commitment to affordable housing and expanding housing opportunities. We know that when everyone has a safe, healthy, affordable place to call home in the community that they choose, that we all benefit. When people have meaningful choices in where they live, it means that people can stay in the neighborhoods where they have grown up or raised their families, it means our local businesses thrive, schools have teachers, kids can live near their grandparents, entrepreneurs can take chances, renters can become homeowners, and our communities are healthier and more vibrant.”
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