FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Worcester Community Action Council and Massachusetts Fair Housing Center to Offer Eviction Record Sealing at Upcoming Community Day

New on-site service will help Worcester-area residents petition to seal past eviction records under the state’s 2025 eviction sealing law, removing a lasting barrier to stable housing. 

Worcester, MA – Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC)

today announced that it will offer on-site eviction record sealing assistance, in partnership with Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, at its next WCAC Community Day event on September 14th at 18 Chestnut Street and on October 8th at 219 Everett Street from 11am to 1pm. The service is part of WCAC’s “Real Help, Same Day” Community Day series, which brings multiple direct-service programs to residents in a single visit. 

Eligible residents will be able to meet one-on-one with trained staff and legal partners to determine whether their eviction record qualifies for sealing, and to begin the court petition process on the spot. The service is made possible by a change in state law that took effect May 5, 2025: the eviction record sealing provision of the Affordable Homes Act, codified at Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 239, Section 16. Before this law, an eviction record — win, loss, or dismissal — could remain publicly searchable indefinitely, following a tenant through every future housing application regardless of the outcome or circumstances of the case. 

The eviction sealing law was sponsored by State Senator Lydia Edwards (D-Third Suffolk) and championed by her over several legislative sessions, with roots in work she began in 2018 as director of Boston’s Office of Housing Stability. After an earlier version of the bill was vetoed in 2021, Senator Edwards continued to advance the measure, which was ultimately signed into law by Governor Maura Healey in August 2024 as part of the $5.1 billion Affordable Homes Act. Since the law took effect, Senator Edwards has held a series of “Supper and Sealing” workshops connecting residents directly with legal assistance, and has continued to push for greater public awareness of the sealing process across the Commonwealth.  

“Everyone deserves a second chance. An eviction record should not be a lifelong barrier to safe, stable housing. We wrote this eviction sealing law to help people move beyond a difficult chapter and access new opportunities,” said Senator Lydia Edwards, State Senator for the Third Suffolk District and former Chair of the Housing Committee. “The more than 8,220 eviction sealing petitions filed since the law took effect show just how great the need is—and why outreach matters. I am grateful to Worcester Community Action Council, Massachusetts Fair Housing Center and their partners for bringing this resource directly to residents and helping ensure people can access the rights this law provides. Together, we are opening doors to housing stability and a fresh start for families across the Commonwealth.” 

For residents in WCAC’s 43-community service area, sealing an eviction record can mean the difference between being screened out of an apartment application and securing stable housing. Eviction records have been shown to disproportionately affect renters of color, particularly Black women, and can create barriers not only to housing but to employment and credit access as well. By pairing this legal service with the other resources available at Community Day, including financial empowerment coaching, energy assistance, and youth and family programming, WCAC aims to help residents remove a documented obstacle to long-term economic mobility and wealth-building, not just resolve a single case. 

“An eviction record can follow a family for years, long after the circumstances that caused it are behind them. This service is about giving people a real chance to move forward but opening the door to stable housing, and to everything that stable housing makes possible: a steady job, a child settled in one school, a family building toward something instead of just getting by. That’s what economic mobility looks like in practice, and it’s why we’re proud to bring this resource directly to the residents who need it most,” Marybeth Campbell. CEO, Worcester Community Action Council 

“As the oldest fair housing organization in Massachusetts, we have seen time and time again how court records have presented barriers to folks trying to put a roof over their head. Oftentimes, even if an eviction case was dismissed against the tenant or the judgment was fully paid, the mere existence of a record leads to a denial of housing. Thanks to the work of Senator Edwards along with the legislature and this administration, this law evens the playing field and provides justice. We are proud to make this law a reality for the people of Massachusetts,” Vineeth Hemavathi, Executive Director of Massachusetts Fair Housing Center 

Residents do not need to bring court documents to begin the process, but are encouraged to bring a photo ID. Interpretation services will be available. Registration is required. 

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ABOUT WORCESTER COMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL 

Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC) is a four-star, Charity Navigator-rated community action agency serving 43 communities across Worcester and Southern Worcester County. Through several programs, including the Job & Education Center, YouthWorks, Head Start and Early Head Start, Financial Empowerment and Resiliency services, and energy assistance, WCAC partners with residents to build lasting economic mobility. Learn more at wcac.net. 

For more information, please contact Giselle Rivera-Flores, Chief External Affairs Officer, at 508.762.9800.