Housing advocates push to expand Massachusetts lead-law obligations to prevent discrimination

Housing- and fair-housing advocates told the committee that Massachusetts’ current lead-law enforcement — which requires abatement only when a child under 6 resides in a unit — creates perverse incentives that lead landlords to avoid renting to families with young children. Christina DaFonseca, executive director of South Coast Fair Housing, said landlords commonly avoid renting to families with children to avoid abatement costs and liability. “Families are too often forced to choose between homelessness and housing,” she said, citing client accounts of units advertised as “not lead safe” and families blocked from using benefits because they cannot find certified units. Maureen Saint Cyr, executive director of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, told the committee that fewer than 10 percent of pre-1978 homes have been inspected and certified lead-safe since the law’s passage more than 50 years ago, and that the existing framework disproportionately harms low-income families and people of color. She urged support for H2479 (and related measures) to phase in universal abatement and include stronger anti-retaliation protections. Why it matters: Witnesses framed the proposal as both a public-health and civil-rights measure that would reduce childhood lead exposure and expand access to housing for families with children, especially in historically redlined neighborhoods. Next steps: No committee vote was taken; advocates asked for a favorable report and said they would work with legislators on implementation and funding details.