"I was hospitalized with my knee joints replaced...I became confined to a wheelchair facing the prospect of living out my life in a non ambulatory state...[My] standard size wheelchair would not fit through the bathroom in my two bedroom apartment... When I approached the property manager I was rebuffed and told they were not willing to under take making this adjustment...But alas hope was on the horizon. It came in the auspices of the fine people at The Massachusetts Fair Housing Center...I can only surmise that their skillful and reasoned negotiations persuaded the property owners to Comply. This resulted in the necessary changes to render my apartment... accessible.... I sincerely thank the fine citizens at The Massachusetts Fair Housing Center. What they did with my case had been nothing short of a miracle. I commend and recommend them to anyone facing seemingly impossible housing issues."
-- AK, December 2015
"I am thankful for the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center's services. They listened to me and found a way to help me. I encourage people to call MFHC because people have rights and they shouldn't be afraid to use them"
-- AM, December 2014
"Mass Fair Housing has not only helped us to remain in our home, but helped us to remain a family, too. In 2012, my sister died leaving behind six beautiful kids. The mobile home park where my husband and I lived wanted to evict us when we took the kids in who had no where else to go. We could not afford a lawyer to fight this and we could not afford to just move and lose our home and we were not giving up the kids. Mass Fair Housing helped us for two years fighting a discrimination suit against the park. They helped us to remain in our home which gave us a nice safe plae to raise our son."
-- LP, November 2014
"I am very grateful for the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center. They were very professional in helping solve my problem"
-- AS, November 2014
"I want to personally thank you and your team for all the hard work that was committed to my case. I felt like a ton of bricks lifted off my shoulders when you personally called to give me the good news that I was going to be able to keep my service dog. It wasn't an easy case, but the experience and professionalism displayed by you and your team made it seem like a walk in the park."
--MCV, September 2014
"I was homeless, with three kids, ill and hanging on by a thread that was unwinding more every moment. I was alone and unheard. I needed a voice, but no matter how much I tried, I was silenced. When Whitney first met with me, I was so relieved that someone else saw the wrongs that had been done, and wanted to help make it right. The work that is done at Mass Fair Housing is increasingly important to not only our local communities, but to the world. Fair housing should be a right of all people. Thank you MFHC!"
-- AA, August 2012
"I wish to express my gratitude to MFHC and to Whitney personally for your invaluable assistance and advocacy on my behalf. As a disabled person who was requested to move from my current apartment to a different unit within the complex, this was devastating to me. A move would have presented undue hardships physically. Due to help I have been allowed as a reasonable accommodation to remain in the apartment I have been in for 11 years. Thank you ever so much for your services, they have meant the world to me."
-- KFF, May 2012
"I really appreciate all the work the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center did for me. You really worked hard for me. In the future, I know that MFHC will always be there and will help other people like they helped me. I really appreciate all they have done for me."
-- JR, March 2012
“I was impressed by the professionalism of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center. From my intake to achieving my objective of overturning an ineligibility housing determination, everyone from the Executive Director to its attorneys and through the office staff worked in a time effective manner. I was fortunate to have the Executive Director take time from her busy schedule to personally support me at the appeal meeting. I highly recommend this agency to anyone who has fair housing issues. My heartfelt gratitude to all.”
--DB, February 2012
"I would like to thank the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center. Their assistance to me was invaluable. I had been denied housing and discriminated against and they helped me enforce my rights against the property owner. They even helped me get a settlement of $9,000.00."
--M.A-J., January 2012
"I was harassed and unknowingly being discriminated against for 4 years. I feel so much more relaxed and I can live in peace now knowing that there is the Fair Housing Center that I can go to if something like this happens again."
--SW, August 2011
"The staff at the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center is calm and patient. The entire staff always told me to ask any questions as often as I needed to understand the process. I always felt included in all aspects of the case from beginning to end. I humbly thank all MA Fair Housing Center staff for restoring my faith in justice for people with disabilities."
--NW, July 2011
"I want to thank the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center for helping me. I wouldn’t be in my home without them. There was no one to help me. I am 79 years old and had no place to go. I want to thank Natalie personally. I know she worked very hard for me. God bless and thank you to MFHC."
-- MS
"Several years ago, I tried to get help for a mentally disabled man who had been tricked into transferring title to his home to his "roommate." The roommate proceeded to strip $80,000 in equity from the home and then tried to evict this man. I contacted 8 agencies trying to get help, but only MFHC would take the case. MFHC jumped into action, immediately stopping the evicton. Later, after a jury trial, the title to this man's home was rightfully returned to him. I cannot fully express how much the hard work and dedication of MFHC has meant to this man. Without their help, there is no doubt that this man would have ended up homeless. He is now back in his home and doing well. I will be forever grateful for the existence of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center."
-- Paula
“I had a really hard time during a long search for an apartment that lasted over a year due to discrimination because of my Section 8 voucher. This was a very emotional, stressful and trying time just looking for a place to call home. I was fortunate to have received help from a great team at the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center. It was a wonderful group I had the pleasure of meeting and working for me. Not only did this team take care of all the legal matters, they made sure I understood the process and helped to reassure me that everything was going to be okay. I want to express my sincere gratitude for this agency’s help and to let everyone know how important they were through this whole process, not only to me but to my whole family. This is a great service for people like me.”
-- MR
“Meris, I thank you and your staff very much for helping me in my discrimination case. I am very pleased with the outcome.”
-- JP
“Because of the guidance, advice, perseverance and attention to our file from the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center and especially Natalie Shemmassian, we have been accepted into a trial modification period. Natalie was and is constantly there to help us understand a complicated process, investigating procedures, writing letters to the lender’s attorneys, keeping us calm and especially never giving up.”
-- CDM
“In 2009, my family was denied an apartment because of lead paint. Our youngest was 9 months old. We needed the apartment to be closer to my husband’s new school. We contacted MFHC and they immediately helped us by filing a motion for a temporary restraining order. After the motion was filed the landlord agreed to take care of any hazardous lead paint and have the apartment officially inspected. This enabled us to move in. Without the help of MFHC this would not have been possible.”
-- Heather