The Fair Housing Commission works to eliminate discrimination and increase access to housing in Boston through investigation and enforcement, affirmative marketing, housing counseling, and interagency coordination. The BFHC also manages a computerized listing service of regional housing opportunities in an effort to provide low-income households increased access to housing in 126 cities and towns of metropolitan Boston.

The Boston Fair Housing Commission conducted an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, which is a blueprint for affirmatively furthering fair housing in Boston and the surrounding metropolitan area. The Analysis examines the dynamics of the housing market from a fair housing and equal access perspective. It recommends administrative and programmatic actions to address barriers in government assisted housing, private housing, housing for the disabled, insurance, mortgage lending. The Analysis also addresses other issues affecting housing access like discrimination, zoning, lead paint, and the practices of real estate brokers. It promotes initiatives that facilitate equal access to housing, which is fundamental to ensuring equal opportunity in education, employment, and other areas.

The Metropolitan Housing Clearing Center (Metrolist) facilitates access to housing throughout the metropolitan Boston area by providing low- and moderate-income households with housing counseling and comprehensive information about government- assisted housing and housing on the private market. Over the past year Metrolist has provided housing information to nearly 1,000 renters seeking housing with over 50 percent obtaining housing or being placed on a housing waiting list. Because Boston's less than 2 percent, substantial changes in rules governing government-assisted housing and welfare need to take place. The Commission has strived to amass additional resources to provide more meaningful housing search information and referrals to agencies that offer self-sufficiency resources, such as Graduate Equivalence Diploma (GED), job training, and job placement.

The Fair Housing Commission also works to prevent families from experiencing discrimination because of lead paint.

View the BILSH (Boston Initiative for Lead Safe Housing) in following languages:

• English


• Cape Verdean


• Haitian Creole


• Spanish


• Vietnamese


• Chinese