Cambridge Human Rights Commission

The Cambridge Human Rights Commission protects the civil rights of residents and visitors to the city. It enforces the Cambridge Human Rights Ordinance and the Cambridge Fair Housing Ordinance, which in practice makes it a city law enforcement agency that investigates and decides complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation and education. People who believe they have faced discrimination in Cambridge can file a complaint with the commission.

Protected categories under the city ordinances include disability, national origin or ancestry and source of income, which covers housing vouchers such as Section 8. Alongside enforcement, the commission educates businesses and residents, does community outreach and works with other city, state and federal agencies. It shares resources on tenants’ rights, voucher discrimination and eviction prevention, and it gathers feedback from people who have used its services.

What to Know

• The commission was established in 1984.
• Some staff speak Spanish, and a language interpretation service is available for complainants.
• It offers workshops on fair housing and employment discrimination for community groups, agencies and schools.
• Its rules of procedure are published for the public.