Author: Mass Union

  • Action Alert: Speak Out for Rent Stabilization & Access to Counsel

    Two critical issues for renters are currently being considered by the State Legislature. We need you to reach out to your legislators today to urge them to prioritize the needs of struggling renters.

    Rent Stabilization

    While public housing tenants are fortunate to have controlled rents, tenants in the private market are not so lucky. We all have friends and family in the private market, where we know that rents can double overnight. Activists across Massachusetts have been working tirelessly to put rent stabilization (also called rent control) on the ballot in November. But the State Legislature has until July 1 to take decisive action and implement this protection for renters now.

    Access to Counsel

    Mass Union has long been a supporter of Access to Counsel, which ensures that tenants facing eviction have the legal representation they need. The state’s investment in Access to Counsel in evictions is making a difference in people’s lives: in 2025, the Access to Counsel program opened 1,192 cases, and in 87% of the cases closed tenants stayed housed or received time to find new housing. The FY27 state budget is now before the Conference Committee. Access to Counsel (ATC) is included in the House Budget for $3 million, but not in the Senate Budget. We need to hold onto the full $3 million for FY27 so tenants can have a fighting change in eviction proceedings.

    Take Action

    1. Find your Representative and Senator: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
    2. Call your legislators and ask them to support rent stabilization and access to counsel. You can use the script below, but make sure to include any insights or stories of your own!
      • My name is ____ and I live at ___[street address]___ in __ [city or town]__.
      • I am calling today to voice my support for both rent stabilization and full funding for access to counsel. I urge you to prioritize the needs of struggling renters by taking action on these issues.
      • I support common sense rent stabilization and urge the legislature to take action before July 1 to pass a compromise. I support rent stabilization because ____________.
      • As a tenant, I’ve also seen how the state’s investment in Access to Counsel in evictions is making a difference in people’s lives. [Add a story of your own, if relevant]. Please stop unnecessary evictions and the cascade of harmful effects that evictions are causing people in our communities and adopt the Access to Counsel House Line Item 0321-1800 for $3 million.
    3. Email your legislators and ask them to support rent stabilization and access to counsel. You can use the sample email below, but make sure to include any insights or stories of your own!
      • Subject line: Urgent Action Needed on Rent Stabilization and Access to Counsel
      • Dear Representative / Senator _____________,
      • My name is ____ and I live at ___[street address]___ in __ [city or town]__.
      • I am writing to voice my support for rent stabilization and access to counsel, which will both provide important protection for renters in our community. 
      • We are in a severe housing affordability crisis. Skyrocketing rent increases are making it impossible for families, young people, and older adults to remain in their communities and plan for their futures. Without predictable rents, tenants struggle to maintain stability, children are displaced from schools, and our communities lose the diversity that makes them strong. We need your leadership to keep rent increases stable and protect vulnerable tenants from displacement. 
      • I support rent stabilization because ____[add your personal experience here]________. I urge the legislature to take action before July 1 to pass a compromise on rent stabilization. 
      • As a tenant, I’ve also seen how the state’s investment in Access to Counsel in evictions is making a difference in people’s lives. [Add a story of your own, if relevant]. Please stop unnecessary evictions and the cascade of harmful effects that evictions are causing people in our communities and adopt the Access to Counsel House Line Item 0321-1800 for $3 million.
      • Sincerely, [your name]
    4. Send a letter directly to the FY27 Budget Conference Committee and Leadership urging them to include $3 Million for the Access to Counsel line item (0321-1800) as provided by the House. Use these emails. You can use the sample paragraph below, but make sure to include any insights or stories of your own!
      • We ask the Conference Committee to adopt the Access to Counsel in Evictions House Line Item 0321-1800 which provides $3 million for the continued start-up of a statewide Access to Counsel in evictions program. The state’s investment in Access to Counsel in evictions is without question making a difference in people’s lives. In 2025, the Access to Counsel program opened 1,192 cases, and in 87% of the cases closed tenants stayed housed or received time to find new housing. Stop unnecessary evictions and the cascade of harmful effects that evictions are causing people in our communities – adopt the Access to Counsel House Line Item 0321-1800 for $3 million.

  • Trump Administration Attacks LGBTQ+ Tenants and Families

    On April 28, 2026, the Trump Administration released yet another proposal that would harm public housing communities. This time, they are attacking our LGBTQ+ neighbors. The proposal rolls back previous HUD rules that protect LGBTQ+ families and individuals from discrimination in HUD-subsidized housing and shelter, including federal public housing. If put into effect, this could allow landlords to refuse to provide housing to LGBTQ+ families and individuals, or even evict a family after learning that a family member is transgender or gay.

    The Mass Union board strongly opposes this proposal. Our value of “Radical Inclusion” applies to individuals with different gender identities and sexual orientations. All people should be welcome in public housing. We will be discussing this further on June 12, 2026, at 11am over Zoom. We will gather comments from tenants to submit to HUD showing our opposition to this cruel proposal. All public housing tenants are welcome! Email info@massunion.org to get the Zoom link.

    Read a full legal analysis from the National Housing Law Project here.

  • Rent Control Fact Sheet

    Click here (PDF)!

  • Webinar Series: Negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Local Housing Authority

    Join Mass Union, Legal Aid, and trainer Todd Fry for a two-part webinar series about negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with your Local Housing Authority. 

    • Both sessions will take place over Zoom (link provided after you register)
    • Spanish interpretation will be offered

    Public housing tenant organizations in Massachusetts have a right to organize, be heard, and participate in matters affecting tenants. These rights can be made much stronger if a tenant organization sits down with housing authority staff and negotiates an agreement called a Memorandum of Understanding (or MOU) or a Memorandum of Agreement (or MOA).

    MOUs can be powerful tools for tenant groups. They can open up better communications between tenants and housing authorities. They can provide access to resources to help strengthen tenant organizations. And, most importantly, they can provide tenant groups with a place at the table to work with the housing authority on issues of concern.

    And yesterday, hot off the press, we posted the updated Memorandum of Understanding Know Your Rights Booklet to pair with the webinar. Please share with others. 

    Many thanks for their invaluable contributions to: Susan Hegel, Sarah Byrnes, Mac McCreight, Mary Lu Mendonca and Cecelia Rosenman, Northeastern University Law School at MLRI this summer

    Session 1: Know Your MOU Rights – with Legal Aid
    June 16, 2026, 10:30am – 11:30am

    Session 1 will feature two legal experts — Annette Duke from Mass Law Reform Institute, and Susan Hegel from Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services, as well as a tenant group who has already negotiated a successful MOU. Annette, Susan and tenant leaders will explain what an MOU usually covers, your rights to negotiate, what recourse you have if a housing authority refuses to negotiate, and highlights from a sample MOU.

    Session 2: Negotiation Skills with Todd Fry
    July 9, 2026, 11am – 1pm

    Now that you know the regulations about what your MOU can cover, learn ways to negotiate a strong agreement with your LHA. In an interactive style, we will walk through strategies, skills, and some practical tips to help you achieve the MOU that tenants in your community want. 

  • Action Alert: Contact Your State Senator

    This week Mass Union needs to raise our voices in support of four budget amendments in the Senate.  

    Today and tomorrow, please call or email your Senator and ask them to co-sponsor the following Amendments to the Senate’s version of the State Budget. 

    • Amendments #24 and #38 – increase the public housing Operating Subsidy from $117 million to $120 million
    • Amendment #25 –  increases funding for Resident Service Coordinators from $6.5 to $7.1 million 
    • Amendment #905 – provides $3 million for funding for Access to Counsel in evictions 

    Find your Senator’s contact information here. When you call or email let them know that you are a constituent. This means a lot!

    Next week the Senate will debate these amendments and we will keep you posted and send you a link so you can watch the debate. 

    We’ve built a lot of power together over the past few years. Now, let’s make our voices heard!

    Here’s what to do – Three Simple Steps!

    1. Find your State Senator here. Note that you do not need to contact your State Rep at this time.
    2. Email their office and ask them to co-sponsor all three amendments above. Use subject line: Protect Public Housing Residents in Your Community. You can copy and paste the list.
    3. Call the office to follow up. Ask to speak to a member of the staff. Remember, don’t be shy – their job is to hear your input!

  • Public Housing Day 2026: Bigger and Better than Ever!

    In an impressive display of tenant power, well over 100 tenants attended Mass Union’s Public Housing Day on April 16, 2026. They came from over 40 Local Tenant Organizations and 30 Housing Authorities. Tenants spoke directly to legislators about the need for fair funding for public housing, additional Resident Services Coordinators for our communities, access to counsel for tenants facing eviction, and protection for tenants undergoing redevelopment. Tenant leaders spoke passionately about these needs, and the need to defend immigrants in our communities in light of ongoing attacks from HUD. See photos below.

    We are proud to report on our legislative accomplishments:

      • Tenant advocates from Jamaica Plain successfully urged State Rep. Montaño to propose an amendment to the House budget to provide technical assistance for tenants facing redevelopment. An immediate win!
      • Tenants helped circulate “Dear Colleague” letters from Rep. Cruz and Senator Payano opposing HUD’s “mixed-status” proposal which would evict 80,000 immigrants from public housing nationwide. In the end, 15 Senators and 15 Representatives signed on, and the letters have been submitted to HUD as part of the official record. Together, tenants and legislators are taking a powerful stand to protect vulnerable members of our communities.

    During our morning speaking program, we heard from State House leadership about the importance of ensuring that public housing remains a strong foundation for families and communities across the Commonwealth.

    Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues reaffirmed the legislature’s commitment to “support your priorities and improve the lives of our friends and families in public housing,” while Representative Carole Fiola reminded tenants that “you have the power to break down barriers and elevate the voices of your neighbors.” Representative Tram Nguyen emphasized that “real change happens when tenants organize and speak from lived experience,” and EOHLC Undersecretary Danielle Bastarache captured the heart of the day – public housing is “not just bricks and sticks,” she said, but the places “where people have their homes, raise their children, and build community.” Undersecretary Bastarche also commented that even after fifteen years of national work with public housing tenants, she had never seen a gathering like our Public Housing Day.

    Many other allies made the day possible. Virginia Benzan of the Digital Equity Alliance gave inspiring luncheon remarks as part of the Mass Broadband Institute’s Platinum Sponsorship, reinforcing the importance of tenant access to digital resources. By the end of the day tenants were able to meet with 48 legislative offices. Meetings were led by tenants, staff, board, and allies such as CHAPA, Greater Boston Legal Services, Mass Law Reform Institute, and the Housing Justice Alliance. This coalition demonstrates growing support in the movement for the preservation of public housing.

    The support of our sponsors allowed this advocacy, networking, and celebration to happen. In a “tough budget year,” our presence at the State House was all the more crucial to ensure the continuation of housing subsidies for some of the most vulnerable people in the Commonwealth. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts!

    Platinum Sponsor

    Gold Sponsor

    Silver Sponsors

     

     

     

     

     

    Bronze Sponsors

    Acton Housing Authority


    Haverhill Housing Authority

     

     

     

    Topsfield Housing Authority

    PHOTOS

  • Joint Fundraiser: Housing and Immigration Justice

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    Donate now through GiveLively. Donations will be split between Mass Union and the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network.

    Thank you to our Host Committee: Marc Agramonte, Pam Bender, Kathy Brown, Sarah Byrnes, Annette Duke, Professor Eloise Lawrence, Steve Meacham, Zafiro Patiño, Renee Spencer, Danny Timpona, and Yolanda Torres.

    Download the Flyer (PDF)

  • 13,000+ Comments Oppose HUD Rule Targeting Mixed-Status Families

    April 22, 2026
    Contacts:
    Press@legal-aid.org
    Press@nhlp.org
    media@latinojustice.org
    press@massunion.org

    ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

    Tenant and immigrant rights groups condemn proposal that could force tens of thousands of families from their homes, urge government to immediately withdraw proposal

    (NEW YORK, NY) — Greater Boston Legal Services, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, The Legal Aid Society, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, the Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants, and the National Housing Law Project issued the following statement marking the close of the comment period on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) proposed rule targeting mixed-status families, which puts tens of thousands of households at risk of losing their homes:

    “As the public comment period closes for HUD’s proposed rule targeting mixed-status families, we join thousands of advocates, tenants, and community members across the country in unequivocal opposition.

    “With more than 13,000 comments submitted, the overwhelming response underscores just how harmful and out of step this proposal is. It would force tens of thousands of families into an impossible choice — separate from loved ones or lose their homes — while doing nothing to address the nation’s ongoing housing crisis.

    “HUD’s own analysis of the proposed rule admits it would reduce the number of households receiving assistance and force housing authorities to cut essential services — like maintenance, security, management, and tenant programs — impacting even U.S. citizen households.

    “This proposal is not only legally and morally indefensible, it is a direct attack on the stability, health, and unity of our communities. Public housing exists to provide safe, affordable homes for those who need them most — not to divide families or scapegoat immigrants.

    “We stand with public housing tenants and immigrant families nationwide in urging HUD to immediately withdraw this proposal. Housing policy must strengthen communities, not tear them apart.”

    ###

    Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), founded in 1900, assists survivors of domestic violence, unhoused families, elders, people with disabilities, households facing illegal evictions, low-wage workers, families with no source of income, and immigrants facing persecution. Annually, GBLS provides assistance to 12,000 families and individuals who would otherwise not be able to afford legal help. GBLS also provides legal counsel to dozens of community-based groups and organizations and conducts strategic impact advocacy to bring about positive systematic change throughout the region and state. For more information, please visit www.gbls.org.

    The Legal Aid Society is a nonprofit law firm that exists for one simple yet powerful reason: to ensure that New Yorkers are not denied their right to equal justice because of poverty. For 150 years, we have protected, defended, and advocated for those who have struggled in silence for far too long. Every day, in every borough, The Legal Aid Society changes the lives of the people we serve and helps improve our communities. www.legalaidnyc.org

    The National Housing Law Project’s mission is to advance housing justice for poor people and communities. We achieve this by strengthening and enforcing the rights of tenants and low-income homeowners, increasing housing opportunities for underserved communities, and preserving and expanding the nation’s supply of safe and affordable homes.

    Founded in 1968, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is a nonprofit poverty law and policy program that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. MLRI furthers its mission through impact litigation, policy advocacy, coalition building, community lawyering, and public information. In addition, MLRI serves as the poverty law support center for the Massachusetts civil legal aid delivery system and advocacy community. For more information, visit www.mlri.org.

    The Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants is a nonprofit run by tenants for tenants. Our mission is to build power and voice for tenants so that we may effectively improve public housing in Massachusetts. Founded by public housing residents in 1967 and incorporated in 1971, Mass Union is the oldest statewide public housing tenants’ organization in the nation. https://massunion.org

    About LatinoJustice
    LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For over 50 years, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has acted as an advocate against injustice throughout the country. To learn more about LatinoJustice, visit www.LatinoJustice.org

  • Action Alert! Ask Your State Representative to Co-Sponsor These Amendments

    Budget Amendment Fact Sheet (PDF)

    Action Alert! Please contact your State Representative and ask them to co-sponsor the following amendments to the House FY27 Budget:

      • Amendment #754, raises the public housing Operating Subsidy from $117.8 to $120 million
      • Amendment #621, provides $350,000 for technical assistance for tenants facing redevelopment
      • Amendment #1419, increases funding for Access to Counsel in evictions from $3 to $4 million
      • Amendment #1291, includes the Access to Counsel bill in the budget, ensuring a stable statewide program
      • Amendment #1365, raises funding for Resident Service Coordinators from $6.5 to $7.5 million

    Here’s what to do – Three Simple Steps!

      1. Find your State Representative here. Note that you do not need to contact your State Senator at this time.
      2. Email their office and ask them to co-sponsor all five amendments above. Use subject line: Protect Public Housing Residents in Your Community. You can copy and paste the list, and include a link to the PDF Fact Sheet.
      3. Call the office to follow up. Ask to speak to a member of the staff. Remember, don’t be shy – their job is to hear your input!

    Please let Mass Union know you reached out – contact us at info@massunion.org!

  • April 22: Mel King Institute’s Ask an Attorney: Understanding Conflict of Interest in LHA Boards

    Ask an Attorney: Understanding Conflict of Interest and Fiduciary Duty in LHA Boards

    Wednesday, April 22
    4-5:30 pm
    Mel King Institute’s Ask an Attorney: Understanding Conflict of Interest and Fiduciary Duty in LHA Boards session is coming up next Wednesday, April 22, from 4:00–5:30 pm. This is a great opportunity to bring your questions, or real situations you’ve encountered, and get guidance from an attorney who specializes in this area. Don’t miss out. Register here!
    This workshop will review the key roles and responsibilities of board members, with a focus on understanding fiduciary duties and avoiding conflicts of interest. Using real world scenarios, we will explore situations that can be confusing or difficult to interpret. Participants will also have the chance to share their own examples and questions to deepen the discussion. Board members will leave with stronger tools that can help prevent costly legal mistakes and support responsible governance. Facilitated by Attorney Elizabeth Reinhardt, an expert in non-profit governance and regulatory compliance.
    These sessions are free and open to all Housing Authority Board Members/Commissioners.