Fair Housing

We promote housing equity and equality by taking legal action against fair housing violations and by partnering with other advocacy groups to promote policies and practices that encourage equal housing opportunities in Massachusetts.

LCR predominantly focuses on fair housing violations based on either race or national origin discrimination. We also handle cases involving discrimination based on family status, citizenship status, disability, and Section 8 status. In recent years, our staff has litigated cases involving issues such as:

• refusal by realtors and landlords to rent to individuals of color;
• failure by landlords to remedy a racially hostile living environment due to tenant-on-tenant harassment;
• steering of potential homebuyers to less desirable properties;
• discriminatory treatment in the terms of tenancy; and
• racially-restrictive covenants in real estate advertisements.

We have also authored amicus briefs regarding the disparate impact of the subprime mortgage industry on people of color and the reach of disparate impact under Massachusetts’ anti-discrimination laws.

LCR also investigates various issues that contribute to housing segregation in Massachusetts, such as the use of criminal background checks to exclude individuals from renting and violations of Massachusetts lead paint law. LCR also regularly engages in advocacy designed to ensure that online platforms do not violate Fair Housing laws.