Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. III § 7-48
Fair housing commission procedures
Operative Text
(a) The commission may adopt rules and regulations consistent with this article and the laws of the commonwealth to carry out the policy and provisions of this article and the powers and duties of the commission. (b) The commission shall adopt rules of procedure for the conduct of its investigations. Said rules shall ensure the due process rights of all persons involved in the investigations. (c) Any charge filed under this article must be filed within six months of the alleged act of discrimination. (d) All commission records shall be public except those that are necessary to ensure privacy rights under other local, state or federal laws and those records that must be kept confidential in compliance with laws and rules of evidence. (Code 1963, § 17-8)
Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. III § 7-48 establishes the procedural framework for the city's Fair Housing Commission. The Commission is authorized to create its own rules and regulations, provided they align with state law and the article's stated policies. Investigations must follow procedures that protect the due process rights of everyone involved, discrimination charges must be brought within six months of the alleged act, and Commission records are generally public unless privacy or evidentiary laws require confidentiality.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. III § 7-48, property owners and managers who become subjects of a Fair Housing Commission investigation can expect that the process will be governed by formally adopted procedural rules designed to protect due process. Compliant operators generally familiarize themselves with the Commission's published rules of procedure so they understand how investigations are conducted and what records may be disclosed. Because most Commission records are public by default, operators are generally aware that documentation related to a complaint may be accessible to others unless a specific legal protection applies.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. III § 7-48 gives tenants and other individuals the right to have any fair housing complaint investigated under procedures that safeguard due process. A key feature of this provision is the six-month filing window — a charge must be submitted to the Commission within six months of the alleged discriminatory act. Tenants who believe they have experienced housing discrimination may consult the Somerville Fair Housing Commission directly, review its publicly available records and procedural rules, or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization to better understand the complaint process.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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