Issues Alert: Housing Court Expansion Hearing on Cape Cod DATE CHANGE: October 30.
Barnstable Hearing: Monday, October 30 from 8:30 -10:30 a.m
Meeting Location: The Harborview Conference Room, County Complex, 3195 Main St. Barnstable MA 02630
Local Host: Cape & Islands Regional Network on Homelessness
RSVP: KCallahan@barnstablecounty.org
One of the issues on our priority state legislation list is the funding of a housing court expansion. Please join us to learn about how a housing court on Cape Cod will be implemented and to support this effort. For more about why we need a housing court see information posted below the hearings announcement.
A message from Annette R. Duke, Esq., of Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.
Community Meetings on Housing Court Expansion
It is very exciting to be able to take the next step on housing court expansion and hold community meetings to talk about implementation. Mass. Law Reform, with local partners, has set up a series of meetings over the next two months. All are welcome. The purpose of these meetings will be to:
- Understand the expansion.
- Hear from Housing Court Chief Justice Sullivan about what is in progress and plans for the upcoming year.
- Have time to ask questions and provide thoughts about expansion.
- Talk about companion expansions for the Tenancy Preservation, Lawyer for the Day programs, and other resources special to the Housing Court.
Mark Your Calendar & RSVP
Please RSVP with each local partner so that they can best plan the space for the meeting. Note – several meeting dates have changed.Chelsea
Monday September 11th – 11 am-1 pm
Meeting Location: 318 Broadway, Chelsea, MA 02150
Local Host: Chelsea Collaborative
RSVP: ElizabethD@chelseacollab.orgFramingham – NEW DATE
Monday September 18th – 5:30-7:00 pm
Meeting Location: Greater Framingham Community Church, 44 Franklin St., Framingham, MA 01702
Local Host: MetroWest Legal Services
RSVP: SShah@mwlegal.orgMalden
Monday September 18th – 8:30-10:30 am
Meeting Location: 919 Eastern Ave, Malden, MA 02148
Local Host: Housing Families
RSVP: LRosi@housingfamilies.orgBrockton
Monday September 25 – 5:30-7:30 pm
Meeting Location: Multi-purpose Room, Brockton Public Library, 304 Main St., Brockton, MA 02301
Local Host: Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts LLC, Subsidiary of South Coastal Counties Legal Services
RSVP: ojohnson@justicema.orgBarnstable – NEW DATE
Monday, October 30 from 8:30 -10:30 a.m
Meeting Location: The Harborview Conference Room, County Complex, 3195 Main St. Barnstable MA 02630
Local Host: Cape & Islands Regional Network on Homelessness
RSVP: KCallahan@barnstablecounty.orgWe thank all of our local partners for hosting these meetings. Please RSVP so that they can best plan the space for the meeting and let me know if you have any questions.
Annette
For more information and updates see HousingCourt4All.org.
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Would you like to become more involved in planning and strategy for this group? (NEXT MEETING WED AUGUST 23) NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. See this post.
WHY WE NEED A HOUSING COURT (AUTHORITY) AND HOW IT IMPACTS WOMEN.
This information is from Greater Boston Legal Services, in the form of advice for victims of domestic violence:
How does VAWA protect me?
VAWA means that a housing authority can not refuse to rent to you just because you are or were a victim of abuse.
VAWA means that you can not be evicted from public housing just because of your abuser or your abuser’s actions.
If you and your abuser live together, the housing authority can evict your abuser for his or her acts of abuse, but you must be allowed to stay. Acts of abuse include domestic violence, threats, dating violence or stalking.Can I be evicted for violating my lease?
Under VAWA, a housing authority can not evict you for violating your lease because you are a victim of abuse.
It also can not evict you for criminal activity related to domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking.
But, a housing authority could evict you for serious or repeated lease violations that are unrelated to domestic abuse.What can the housing authority do?
A housing authority can evict you if it can prove that other tenants or staff are in actual and imminent (immediate) danger that cannot be addressed by security or other steps. If the housing authority can prove this, you could be evicted even if you are a victim of domestic abuse.
But without proven danger, the housing authority can not evict you or penalize you in any way.
Also, the housing authority can not hold you to a more demanding set of rules than it uses for tenants who are not victims of abuse.
See an error, typo, broken link etc? Send us an email
To sign up to receive an email when a new post goes up on our website click on the “follow this website” button on the right or if you are on a mobile device, below this post.
To sign up for our newsletter, fill out this form.
Would you like to become more involved in planning and strategy for this group? NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. See this post.
Cape Cod Women for Change 