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 ↗

Related Parts of This Source

Full Text

1,786 chars

Seeking Improvements
Reasonable Accommodations
Renters and potential renters with disabilities have the right to seek reasonable accommodations for their
disabilities from landlords. Of the Fair Housing complaints that were made to the Massachusetts Commission
Against Discrimination (MCAD) for discrimination in Arlington from 2010 to2019, a plurality of complaints is
based on discrimination against people with disabilities (MCAD complaint data, 2010-2019). (See Fair Housing
Education and Enforcement on page 98 for more information.)
Participants in this plan’s public engagement process discussed the process seeking reasonable accommodation.
This discussion touched on reasonable accommodations they had previously received and those they wished their
landlord would provide. Reasonable accommodation requests included physical improvements, as well as
allowances for pets and other lease terms. Engagement participants mentioned heightened concerns in the
current pandemic, particularly with regard to shared facilities and common areas.
Building Maintenance
Participants in public engagement discussed addressing inadequate housing conditions with a landlord. Some
residents were reluctant to raise issues because they feared retaliation from the landlord, or that a potential
inspection by the town would result in the unit being deemed uninhabitable. One participant said, “When you
talk about a situation like this, people ask ‘why don’t you just leave?’ You weigh all these options, and at the time
you’re just trying to make the best decision… You’re afraid to bring this forward because you’re afraid of not
having a roof over your head.”
Assessment: Quantitative and qualitative indicate that seeking building improvements is an ongoing and
underreported area of housing