Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)

Citation: Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)
Jurisdiction: Arlington (municipal)
Source: Official source
Original Source: https://www.arlingtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/57214/637641171662530000 ↗

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• Three Town boards deal with the civil rights of Arlingtonians and could reasonably overlap with fair
housing matters: the Arlington Human Rights Commission (AHRC), the Disability Commission, and the
LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission. The AHRC hears complaints about rights violations that often involve
housing, though it has no formal power to address discrimination directly.
• The Town of Arlington has several departments and staff roles that impact fair housing, including the
Planning and Community Development Department and the Department of Health and Human Services’
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Arlington is a well-resourced community that has the staffing
capacity to undertake substantive planning projects and offer a range of support services. The ability of
the Town’s departments and staff is likely not a major barrier to advancing fair housing.
• The structure of Town Meeting, its size, and its schedule create a form of representative democracy that
demands participation from a relatively wide segment of Arlingtonians. However, the decision-making
power resides with those who already live in town, who are not obligated to account for the needs of
those who might want to live in town but are unable to. It also precludes the participation of those who
are unable to attend multiple consecutive evening meetings due to childcare, work, or other obligations.
• Property tax bills can represent a significant expense for some Arlington residents, particularly those with
low incomes and those on a fixed income, who are often seniors and people with disabilities. Instability in
tax bills could put a burden on those residents and, when that burden disproportionately falls on
protected classes, could represent a fair housing violation.
Town Resources