Client Testimonials
Karsten's Story
How SCC Helped Me Get My Dream Apartment
Personal Story By Karsten Hatch
April 28, 2010
It was the end of January 2010 and I was shocked to find I received a section 8 voucher. I had signed up a few years ago thinking it would be decades before I had to worry about moving from my place on Broadway in Winter Hill that I had called home for the past five years. Now I had a voucher and had to find a place to move to.
It was a hard decision because I already had a great place and a roommate I considered a good friend, the other roommate was problematic but I could deal with him. I thought about what it would mean to move out and decided I wouldn’t do it unless I could move up which to me meant I would be closer to the red line, have more space, and have comfortable living quarters.
It wasn’t long before I found the perfect place. It was in Teele Square, was spacious, and was such an awesome find that I couldn’t figure out why it hadn’t been snapped up more quickly. I started talking to the realtor and he seemed to like me so it looked like it was a go.
That was when the problems started. I hadn’t mentioned I was a section 8 voucher holder as everyone said hold off until you are about to sign the lease. Well, it looked like the place was mine as it took almost a month to get the ball rolling and there was never any other interest in it. When I filled out the rental application I told the realtor I was section 8 and he seemed okay with it. He asked me a bunch of questions about my finances and I answered them truthfully – it liked like smooth sailing. He told me he just had to fill out some paperwork for the Somerville Housing Office and I could sign the lease and move in.
The next day he called and said that the landlord had been showing the place behind his back and found someone else. To me this seemed fishy as there had been no interest in the place for almost two months. So I told Matt, Thais, Mary and Stacey at SCC about my suspicions of discrimination and wondered what I should do. Matt immediately jumped on it and said he would help.
He helped me figure out my next steps and put me in touch with the Boston Fair Housing Center. They told me had to find out if the place was actually being rented to someone else or if the realtor was lying. Guess what, he was lying. Marissa told me that had never happened before as normally the place is rented to someone else and they have to prove discrimination after the fact. Now it was time to play hardball.
Matt and Marissa put me in touch with Alan who heads up the discrimination department of the Attorney General’s office. I now joke that no one better mess with me as I have Massachusetts Attorney General on speed dial. When he took over it was only a week before the realtor and landlord backed down and told me I could move into my dream place. I’m there now with more help from Matt and Thais. They organized my move with Solutions and gave me money for my security deposit. Now it is up to me to unpack and make the place home.
Thank you SCC.
Karsten