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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Reporting
One participant expressed reluctance to file formal complaints regarding discrimination. Although she believed it
was important to have a record of complaints against a landlord, “There’s so many things going on in your life,
you wonder is it worth it and would something even be done.” She was also unsure how to take action: “When it
first happened to me, I found it difficult to find the right people to talk to.”
Beyond formal fair housing complaints, participants discussed addressing inadequate housing conditions directly
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. “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.” Indeed, one participant, who lives in a rooming house, recently made a complaint
about another tenant, and shortly thereafter was informed that the landlord was not renewing leases for the
coming year. The participant suspected that the landlord was using a building renovation to avoid the
appearance of discrimination.
One participant had experience with filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission regarding privacy
issues and timely addressing of reasonable accommodations. The participant felt that the Town was reluctant to
get involved.