Council Presses City on Stalled Fair Housing Office
Boston council presses city over a two-year vacancy atop its fair housing office. Chaired by Councilor Enrique J.
City Council · Meeting of September 29, 2026
Boston council presses city over a two-year vacancy atop its fair housing office. Chaired by Councilor Enrique J. Pepén, the Committee on Housing and Community Development heard that just 49 of 108 fair housing action items under the city's 2022 Assessment of Fair Housing have reached "sustaining" status, and that an equity audit of city practices remains paused amid a HUD investigation opened in December.
Officials said they expect to fill the Office of Fair Housing and Equity's executive director post, vacant since Bob Terrell's death in January 2025, by year's end. Advocate Nadine Cohen said that without a coordinator, "fair housing can and does fall through the cracks." Councilors cited a 2020 study finding 42 percent of Section 8 applicants were "ghosted" by landlords, and officials said the city is adding roughly $200,000 to a $100,000 council appropriation for a new paired-testing contract.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,100 words
Source: the City Council meeting of September 29, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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