HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-12-10-FHHR-min.pdf ( FAIR HOUSING AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
MINUTES
12/10/97
Present: Florence Baturin; Mary Haskell; Kathryn Davis; Steve Baran, Fair Housing and Human
Relations Director
Absent: Michelle Ekanem; Beverly Goodridge; Stella Liu; Dan Fenn, liaison
Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination (MCAD) and Department of Housing
and Urban Development expansion Investigation contracts
Mary Haskell reported on the November visit to the Fair Housing Committee of Debby Chang, fair
housing official from Arlington. Her office has had paid staff(Community Development Block
Grant funding ) since 1982. She staffs a Fair Housing Committee of 12 members advisory to the
Board of Selectmen.The fair housing office in Arlignton carries out initial intake for housing
complaints, also trains bankers, landlords and others relative to fair housing.
There is also a Human Rights Commission (13 members) concerned with quality of life for newly
arrived Arlington citizens and a Diversity Task Force which includes 400 people.
Ms. Chang explained that MCAD had put together teams of three people in Arlington assigning
one case per team for fact-finding hearings Since June, three cases had been completed. It has
been the Arlington experience that processing a case requires 9-10 hours per person per case
( following an initial intake conducted by Ms. Chang. Cases not sent on by Ms. Chang to a team are
sent directly to MCAD Many complaints, particularly those pertaining to employment, bypass the
local level and go directly to MCAD. The committee wondered how the choice was made to send
a case to a team as opposed to sending it to MCAD
The task of the teams is to establish whether or not there is "probable cause. This process
constitutes intake but not an investigation. The latter is conducted by MCAD. The approach has
the advantage of keeping the pulse of the local community A possible deficit was seen in terms of
neighbors sitting in judgment on neighbors. There was further concern that a local investigation
might not be carried on in sufficient depth.
Recruitment
Steve was asked to assemble lists from Concerned Black Citizens, LexFest! the Coalition for
Racial Equality and applicants to conunittees kept on file in the Town Manager's office so that the
committee might select possible candidates. He agreed al,a to submit a notice to the Minuteman
of the committee's interest in new candidates. A draft recruitment letter would be reviewed at the
next meeting. The letter would be sent to potential candidates along with the committee's diversity
brochure.
Holding a coffee was seen as a further means of locating potential candidates. It was agreed that
the agenda for the next meeting would focus on recruitment.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the Fair Housing and Human Relations Committee will be held on
Wednesday January 14 at 7:45 p.m.