Fair Housing Committee

The City of Melrose prides itself on its motto: "Melrose: one community open to all," but presently there is not a sufficient diversity of housing options to promote an economically diverse community. As a result, the message is loud and clear that the motto represents an unfulfilled promise: Melrose is not yet a community that fully supports and welcomes diversity. The goal of the Melrose Human Rights Commission’s Fair Housing Committee is to educate our community about the benefits of fair housing as well as the benefits of affordable housing.

The Melrose Fair Housing Committee has four basic goals:

• Increase the representation of minorities in the community by providing equal access to public and private housing.
• Educate city officials, bankers, real estate professionals, and the general public about fair housing and discrimination problems.
• Create and participate in regional networks for promoting fair housing.
• Encourage more opportunities for affordable, accessible housing

To achieve these ends, the Fair Housing Committee works to ensure that there is a consistent and ongoing implementation of the Fair Housing Laws. We hope to encourage a greater diversity of housing options and fair/equal housing opportunities in Melrose. With the Centennial Anniversary of Melrose upon us, the Human Rights Commission and its Fair Housing Committee want to engage in a proactive stance to make Melrose more diverse and more open to those who are currently residing here, and be of service to those who would like to reside in Melrose.