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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Boards and Commissions
The Town of Arlington has numerous boards and commissions that conduct public business, hold hearings on
matters before the Town, and issue opinions or decisions about those matters. Three of those boards’ purviews
deal with the civil rights of Arlingtonians and could reasonably overlap with fair housing matters: the Human
Rights Commission, the Disability Commission, and the LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission. Additional boards, most
notably the Council on Aging, serve members of protected classes in ways that could affect access to fair housing
choice. Commission members are all resident volunteers, and a Town staff person serves as liaison and
coordinator for each commission. Each Commission has a chairperson, and commissions meet once per month, with
attendance open to the public. Agendas and meeting minutes are provided on the Arlington website.
Human Rights Commission
The Arlington Human Rights Commission (AHRC) was created in 1993 by Town Meeting. The purpose of this
commission, as written in the Town Bylaws, is “to advance issues related to fair and equal treatment of individuals
and to create a mechanism for addressing complaints arising out of these issues.” The AHRC’s powers and duties
include (a) education efforts such as public hearings and surveys that will advance mutual respect, harmonious
intergroup relations, and peace among residents; and (b) receive and respond to complaints of human rights
violations, including complaint investigation, mediation efforts, and resolution, as well as initiating investigations
into potential human rights violations apparent in town. The Bylaws also state that the commission is to work
individually and collaboratively with other groups in the community to emphasize the danger of intolerance via