Below is the full text of a 22News article from 04/14/26.
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By Beck Wehner
BOSTON (WWLP) – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has awarded more than $500,000 in grant funding to eight organizations to support the state’s eviction sealing law.
These grants will fund legal services, clinics and educational materials to help residents seal past eviction records and secure stable housing. The funding supports the implementation of a new law that allows tenants to petition the court to seal records that often act as a permanent barrier to affordable housing.
This initiative, managed through the Housing Affordability Unit launched in 2024, addresses a system where residents can be marked with an eviction record even if their case was dismissed or occurred many years ago.
Historical data shows that more than one million eviction cases were filed in Massachusetts between 1988 and 2018. Black renters are 2.4 times more likely to have an eviction filed against them than white renters, despite making up only 11% of the renting population. Black women and domestic violence survivors are also disproportionately affected by filings that are often subsequently dismissed, leaving a permanent record even when the tenant wins the case.
“A record of an eviction case, even if the case has been dismissed or was brought in retaliation for a tenant exercising their rights, can have devastating impacts on a person’s ability to obtain housing,” Campbell said. “I am proud to partner with these eight incredible organizations to support projects across the state helping residents seal their eviction records and open the door to stable housing for thousands of individuals.”
Community Legal Aid received $75,000 to manage eviction record sealing and assist clients across western and central Massachusetts. The organization will use the funds to hire project staff, organize clinics with community partners and conduct outreach to tenants. The project will collaborate with the group’s CORI/Reentry Unit, which helps individuals with criminal records find employment and housing.
“Eviction records have presented almost insurmountable barriers for tenants seeking housing, even years after their eviction cases have been resolved,” said Jonathan Maninna, Executive Director of Community Legal Aid. “We are very grateful that this grant will enable CLA to dedicate staff to helping tenants seal their eviction records and, in so doing, open up the housing market to them and their families.”
The Massachusetts Fair Housing Center was awarded approximately $55,000 for its “Increasing Housing Opportunity Through Eviction Sealing” project, which operates in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Greenfield and Pittsfield.
Partnering with Springfield No One Leaves, the project aims to seal 300 eviction records and provide 1,000 educational resources. The program also plans to hold 16 clinics and five outreach events to provide services to 300 individuals.
“As organizations who work to support tenants and champion civil rights, we know that eviction sealing is a critical tool to ensure access to housing opportunity,” said Nuri Sherif, staff attorney at the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center.
Other organizations that received grant funds include Greater Boston Legal Services, Justice Resource Institute, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Northeast Legal Aid, Suffolk University and the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association.
This grant program is the latest in a series of housing actions from the Attorney General’s Office. In January, Campbell filed a lawsuit to enforce the MBTA Communities law to ensure municipalities comply with housing requirements.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.