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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Homelessness
Another issue that affects multiple protected classes, and which is exacerbated by high housing costs, is
homelessness. Amongst those interviewed, there was a perception that the homeless population in town is
increasing. This group includes residents of all ages—from students enrolled in the school system to seniors—who
may be living in cars, couch surfing, or temporarily living with relatives. Often these residents are employed, but
a minimum wage job is not typically sufficient to afford housing in Arlington. In other cases, they may have
suffered an injury or trauma that interrupted their ability to work and pay housing costs. In still other cases,
providers suspected there was a potential undiagnosed mental health challenge.

Awareness and Capacity
While providers were aware that fair housing law prohibits discrimination against protected classes seeking
housing, many said that they do not have the capacity to support their clients in preventing discrimination or
fighting it when it occurs. Many organizations do not have the resources to expand their services beyond their
core mission, such as ensuring residents have shelter, food, or health care, and cannot address fair housing issues
beyond referring their clients to an organization that does.