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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• When older buildings have only one elevator and it breaks, that creates a huge issue, and there’s not
clarity about the landlord’s responsibility to fix it in a timely manner.
• Parking location near the building entrance, especially given Arlington’s prohibition on overnight on-street
parking, is an issue.
• Lack of clarity about the process to file a complaint, how complaints are handed, and what the
Commission can do. Role of the Commission, the Town, and the Architectural Access board, and their
ability to provide cover for the tenant against landlord retaliation.
• Mental health issues are a particular challenge.
• Lack of clarity about whether a landlord can turn down a potential tenant because of potential
reasonable accommodations (i.e., need for a ramp) and how to capture these instances of discrimination.
• Groups to reach out to: Tenants for a Livable Arlington, Special Education Parent’s group, Special
Education director in Arlington schools, America Chronic Pain Association.
• Former realtor on the commission noted it is common for landlords to not consider single mothers and
certain ethnicities as tenants.
• In many cases tenants don’t know their rights, don’t feel they have a right to complain, or don’t know how
to seek assistance. One Commissioner cited an example of a family that included two children with
autism. Their apartment had multiple problems with insect and rodent infestations, but they didn’t want to
complain because they were worried about getting kicked out and not finding another apartment. The
fear is even greater for tenants who are undocumented.
• Many residents who use housing vouchers face substandard conditions, including mold or lack of
accessibility.

Human Rights Commission, May 20, 2020
Commissioners’ comments included: