This page has information about agencies that can assist you with different issues.
Human Rights and Discrimination
CHRC
The Cambridge Human Rights Commission is a city agency. It will investigate your complaint of racial, gender, disabilities and other forms of illegal discrimination—especially in housing. If CHRC finds your complaint is justified, you can choose between mediation and legal action by the state Attorney General’s office.
https://www.cambridgema.gov/departments/humanrightscommission
Carolina Almonte, Esq., Executive Director
Cambridge Human Rights Commission
51 Inman St., 2nd Floor
Cambridge 02139
Ph: 617-349-4396
Email: calmonte@cambridgema.gov
Hours of Service
Mon: 8:30AM – 8PM
Tue-Thu: 8:30AM – 5PM
Fri: 8:30AM – 12PM
MCAD
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination is a state agency. It investigates complaints of racial, gender, disabilities and other discrimination—including housing and especially in employment. MCAD can issue subpoenas and impose fines or penalties.
Mass. Commission Against Discrimination (Boston office)
1 Ashburton Place, Room 601
Boston 02108
617-994-6000
CCPD
Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities is a city agency.
https://www.cambridgema.gov/DHSP/programsforadults/ccpd
Rachel Tanenhaus, Executive Director/Coordinator-ADA
Avril dePagter, Chair
51 Inman Street, second floor
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: 617-349-4692
Fax: 617-349-4766
Contact Form (No Email): https://www.cambridgema.gov/DHSP/contactforms/commissionforpersonswithdisabilities
AAB
The Architectural Access Board is a State agency concerned with insuring that persons with disabilities don’t face barriers to full access to public facilities, including streets and sidewalks.
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/architectural-access-board
Massachusetts Architectural Access Board
1000 Washington Street, Suite 710
Boston , MA 02118
617-727-0660
William Joyce, Executive Director
william.joyce@mass.gov
Preventing Homelesness
MSC
The Multi-Service Center is a city agency. It offers a range of services for homeless people and services to prevent homelessness. They have Spanish speakers on staff and work with a Haitian Kreyol advocacy group.
https://www.cambridgema.gov/Services/HomelessandEvictionPreventionServices
Multi-Service Center
362 Green Street, 1st Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-349-6340
Walk-In Hours
Monday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
HomeStart
HomeStart is an independent nonprofit with offices in Boston. They used to have a Cambridge office in Central Square but that office closed in 2015. HomeStart’s focus is getting homeless persons off the street and into permanent housing,. They will also work with you to keep you from becoming homeless.
HomeStart Inc.
105 Chauncy Street
Boston MA 02111
617-542-0338
Eviction Prevention Hotline: 857-415-2900
Office Hours
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm – 4:45 pm
Legal Aid
CASLS
Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services is the division of Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) serving residents of these and neighboring cities north of Boston.
http://www.gbls.org/get-legal-help
CASLS
60 Gore Street Suite 203
Cambridge 02141
617-603-2700
DE NOVO
Besides providing staff attorneys, they can put you in touch with private attorneys providing pro bono (free) legal assistance to lower-income residents. They are especially helpful when there is more than one issue involved, for example if you are being threatened with eviction and are also a person with a disability, in need of services.
DE NOVO used to be the Community Legal Services and Counseling Center (CLSACC), located for many years on West Street in Cambridge. Please note their new address below.
DE NOVO
47 Thorndike Street, SB-LL-1
Cambridge, MA 02141
Tel: 617-661-1010
Harvard Legal Aid
Harvard Legal Aid provides free legal help for income-qualified tenants and others, especially during the school year. They have only a skeleton crew in the summer.
http://www.harvardlegalaid.org/seeking-legal-help
Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
23 Everett Street
Cambridge 02138
617-495-4408
TAP
Harvard Tenant Advocacy Project Harvard Law students with TAP can assist and represent public housing and voucher tenants who file grievances with housing authority panels. They can’t represent you in court.
https://clinics.law.harvard.edu/tap/
6 Everett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-495-4394
Fax: 617-496-2294
email: tap@law.harvard.edu
National Lawyers Guild
The Lawyers Guild does not conduct in person client intake for referrals or walk-ins.
Phone: 617-227-7335
nlgmass-director@riseup.net
185 Devonshire St., Suite 302
Boston, MA 02110
Housing and Mediation Services, Just-A-Start
https://justastart.org/housing/housing-assistance-programs/
Please contact Elizabeth Winston, Housing and Mediation Services Director, at
ElizabethWinston@justastart.org or 617-918-7518 for more information.
Boston Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP)
Results TPP operates out of the Boston Housing Court but has now expanded its services to the Eastern Housing Court in Middlesex County, which includes Cambridge and Somerville. TPP provides legal assistance on the spot in Housing Court only, not in the regular District Court where CHA and other landlords often file summary process eviction cases. However either landlord or tenant has the right to transfer a District Court case to Housing Court. Here is a description of the services and a referral form meant to be filled out by service providers for of tenants at risk of displacement. Questions should be directed to
Sanjay Sankaran, TPP Specialist
Bay Cove Human Services, Inc.
66 Canal Street, Boston MA 02114
617-788-6211 email: ssankaran@baycove.org
Legal Tactics for Massachusetts Tenants
This first three editions of this book were published by Cambridge Tenants Organizing Committee in the early 1970s. Since that time it has been updated and published by Mass. Law Reform Institute. The 2008 edition of this book and various supplements are now available online.
Legal Tactics CLICK HERE information for all residential tenants
Legal information for public housing tenants CLICK HERE
Food Pantries and SNAP (Food Assistance)
CEOC
Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee runs a food pantry which accepts emergency referrals Monday through Friday. They can also help you file for food stamps benefits.
http://www.ceoccambridge.org/food_pantry_services0.aspx
11 Inman Street, Cambridge 02139
617-868-2900
Cambridge Dept. of Human Services listing of food pantries
http://www2.cambridgema.gov/dhsp2/meals1.cfm
Domestic Violence
The Women’s Center
The Women’s Center is an independent nonprofit agency run by and for women. It hosts a range of activities including support groups for battered women, trauma survivors, and for the lesbian community.
http://www.cambridgewomenscenter.org/
46 Pleasant Street
Cambridge 02139
617-354-8807
Children With Voices
Children With Voices is a program run out of The Guidance Center on Sacramento Street in Cambridge, but families from other cities and towns are eligible for its services. Supports children who witness domestic violence.
http://www.gcinc.org/pages.asp?p=228&c=18
5 Sacramento Street
Cambridge 02138
Gail Council, 617-284-5130
Medical Emergencies
We are still collecting information about agencies that assist with medical emergencies.
Depression
Reaching Out About Depression (ROAD) was a community-based program created by and for neighborhood women who suffer with depression and related issues. However ROAD had to disband for lack of funding.
All services were offered free. By creating a network of support in the community, ROAD helped women experiencing stress or depression understand that they are not alone, while offering strategies and resources to promote their self-empowerment and improved quality of life.
Alliance of Cambridge Tenants 