Housing

The Bureau represents tenants in several areas of housing law, including public and private housing eviction and public subsidy termination. We have also worked on tenant association disputes and community action planning.

For public housing eviction cases, we usually only accept cases after a Notice to Quit has been issued. However, if eviction is a real possibility and the potential client is unable to negotiate effectively with the local housing authority, the Bureau may consider providing representation to the potential client before an eviction has commenced. Public housing tenants who have an informal private conference or a grievance hearing scheduled should contact The Harvard Law School Tenant Advocacy Project, at (617) 495-4394.

The Bureau also accepts tenants in private housing evictions; generally the prospective client must have received a Summons & Complaint before we schedule him or her for an Intake Interview. The Bureau generally does not accept cases involving evictions from owner-occupied housing.

The Bureau has recently also accepted cases from tenant associations and has been involved in supporting community organizers in their action planning, including our current work to develop a “Displacement-Free Zone” against gentrification-related eviction in Mattapan along the Fairmount MBTA Commuter Rail Line. We also work with City Life’s Bank Tenants Association to provide legal advice and representation for tenants living in foreclosed properties as part of the movement to keep people in their homes and fight the devastating effects of the foreclosure crisis.