The Human Rights Commission & Affordable Housing Trust are hosting an event in response to the recent West Metro Homes Consortium report which found housing discrimination present in Watertown, as well as in every other community surveyed. See the information provided by the City of Watertown.
Join us at the Fair Housing in Watertown Meeting on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. virtually via Zoom, at: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91712481602. (The public may also join the virtual meeting audio only by phone: 877-853-5257 or 888-475-4499 (Toll Free) and enter Webinar ID: 917 1248 1602)
Sophia Suarez-Friedman of the Wayside Multi-Service Center will talk about what she has learned helping individuals and families find housing in Watertown. Elizabeth Brusie and Cliff Cook will co-moderate and discuss steps the city can take to combat housing discrimination.
There will be a panel discussion, with opportunities for public participation, with:
- Kelly Vieira, Director of Investigations and Outreach for Suffolk University Law School’s Housing Discrimination Testing Program
- Sophia Suarez-Friedman, LICSW, Program Coordinator at the Wayside Multi-Service Center
- Elizabeth Brusie, Human Rights Commissioner
- Cliff Cook, Affordable Housing Trust Chair
This meeting is in response to a February 2025 report, commissioned by the WestMetro HOME Consortium (13 communities, including Watertown), that found evidence of race and/or source of income discrimination in every community. The testing was conducted by Suffolk Law School. Kelly Vieira will discuss the basics of fair housing law and the report’s findings.