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Legal advocates praise eviction-record sealing, report early uptake; urge expanded access to counsel and tenant protections
Summary
Legal-service organizations said the new eviction-record sealing law is being used and recommended further investment in access to counsel, RAFT and foreclosure mediation to prevent evictions and homelessness.
Representatives of Mass Law Reform Institute, Homes for All Massachusetts and tenant organizations told the Joint Committee on Housing that a package of eviction-prevention measures must be matched by resources for legal help and rental-assistance programs.
Annette Duke and Andrea (Mass Law Reform Institute) described implementation and early data on the new eviction-record sealing law and the court’s guided interview: "When the law passed last year, mass law reform immediately started to work on implementation...we start to work collaboratively with the courts..." Duke said. Mass Law Reform reported that, as of the day before their testimony, 554 petitions to seal records had been filed and 306 used the online guided interview; 66 cases had been sealed so far. The institute has created a public resource, SealMyEviction.org, and provided training for court staff and librarians.
Legal-aid and tenant groups urged the committee to continue building access to counsel. Mass Law Reform said access-to-counsel intake is ramping up: "of the... 460 cases have been opened so far around the state. Of those cases, 92 percent of them, the eviction is prevented or delayed," a program result they reported. Tenant advocates described household stories of steep rent increases, investor purchases, and foreclosure fights.
Speakers also asked the legislature to preserve and expand funding for RAFT, HomeBASE, vouchers and foreclosure-mitigation programs, noting that stays tied to pending rental assistance can cause repeated hearings when application status is not visible to the court. Advocates said short-term interventions will not substitute for longer-term production and preservation of affordable housing.
Homes for All Massachusetts also urged the committee to consider land-trust models and tenant opportunity-to-purchase laws to counter investor-driven displacement. The panel recommended continued outreach to municipal partners and that the legislature not assume litigation or administrative implementation will resolve upstream housing instability alone.
