Fair Housing and Equity Open House to take place on Saturday, April 21

Building on the Walsh Administration’s commitment to providing opportunities for safe and affordable housing, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the 2018 Fair Housing and Equity (FHE) Open House, which will take place on Saturday, April 21 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bolling Building in Dudley Square, and is free and open to all residents who live or rent property in the City of Boston.

“Safe and stable housing is the foundation to a person’s future success,” said Mayor Walsh. “My administration is committed to providing the resources to equip residents with the information and tools they might need to overcome housing challenges. We will continue our important work to increase equity and opportunities in housing for all Bostonians.”

The Open House will provide individuals with the opportunity to learn about City and nonprofit services that investigate housing discrimination, provide affordable and income-restricted housing, and other housing resources.

"Mayor Walsh is committed to creating every opportunity for residents to access and keep affordable housing in Boston,” said Boston’s Health & Human Services Chief, Marty Martinez. “The Fair Housing Open House is an opportunity for residents, regardless of zip code or status, to obtain the tools needed to access Boston's affordable and income-restricted housing stock, and to learn about various services available to prevent and challenge housing discrimination.”

“Housing discrimination hurts communities and the Office of Fair Housing & Equity is an invaluable resource to Boston in working to end that discrimination through education and enforcement,” said Jamie Langowski, Esq, Assistant Director & Clinical Fellow Housing Discrimination Testing Program at Suffolk University Law School.

The Open House will facilitate panel discussions, presentations, and outreach materials all related to affordable housing and preventing housing discrimination in Boston. Boston residents, or soon to be residents, are encouraged to attend the Open House.

“50 years after the Fair Housing Act was born, HUD remains firmly committed to creating a nation where every person has the same access to housing and economic opportunity,” said Susan Forward, HUD New England Regional Director of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.  “It is in this spirit that we are excited to join the City of Boston’s Office of Fair Housing in educating landlords and renters about housing discrimination rights and responsibilities at The Boston Fair Housing Open House.”

April 11th marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act. The passage of the Act ensured protections against discrimination of housing based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or disability.

The Mayor’s Office of Fair Housing and Equity implements these protections by investigating housing discrimination. FHE also protects residents by enforcing Affirmative Marketing policies that promote equal opportunity for residents to learn about new affordable and income restricted housing opportunities in Boston.