DHCD Posts RFR for Fair Housing Initiative

On April 30, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) posted a Request for Responses (RFR) for a Fair Housing Initiative. 

DHCD is soliciting proposals from eligible respondents to provide fair housing advocacy and services across Massachusetts. DHCD’s primary objectives for this Initiative are:

• Increasing housing choice for voucher holders across the state
• Addressing gaps in funding for fair housing enforcement under the State's anti-discrimination law, ch. 151B, particularly public/rental assistance recipiency
• Addressing lead paint discrimination
• Addressing co-occurring discriminatory bases, including race, national origin, and familial status

DHCD plans to use up to $500,000 per year over an initial three-year pilot period in Moving To Work Block Grant funding flexibility to award funding to a selected fair housing enforcement agency or agencies to identify fair housing compliance and enforcement issues across privately-owned housing in DHCD’s jurisdiction, investigate discriminatory practices, and provide enforcement assistance for households with a housing voucher.  

Additionally, the funding will be used to develop best practices and education for low-income households and owners regarding fair housing including but not limited to advertising and outreach, as well as educational offerings on fair housing rights and responsibilities. The clients served under this activity may include households with housing assistance vouchers outside of the participants in DHCD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Responses are due no later than 4:00PM on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Responses received after that date and time will not be considered. This RFR has been posted on the Commonwealth’s procurement and solicitation system, COMMBUYS.