By Jerry Filmore
WORCESTER, MA — Worcester Community Action Council will offer residents assistance with the eviction record-sealing process during two upcoming Community Day events in Worcester.
WCAC announced that it will provide the service in partnership with the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center at its September 14 Community Day at 18 Chestnut Street and its October 8 Community Day at 219 Everett Street. Both events are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
According to WCAC, residents will be able to meet one-on-one with trained staff and legal partners to determine whether their eviction record may qualify for sealing and, if eligible, begin the court petition process.
The assistance is being offered under a Massachusetts eviction record-sealing law that took effect May 5, 2025, as part of the state’s Affordable Homes Act. The law created a process through which eligible tenants can petition to have certain eviction records sealed.
WCAC said the service is intended to help residents who may face housing barriers because of an eviction record, including cases that were dismissed or otherwise resolved.
“Everyone deserves a second chance. An eviction record should not be a lifelong barrier to safe, stable housing,” State Sen. Lydia Edwards, D-Third Suffolk, said in a statement included with WCAC’s announcement. “We wrote this eviction sealing law to help people move beyond a difficult chapter and access new opportunities.”
Edwards sponsored the eviction-sealing legislation and has continued to promote awareness of the process since the law took effect.
WCAC CEO Marybeth Campbell said an eviction record can continue to affect a family after the circumstances surrounding a case have passed.
“An eviction record can follow a family for years, long after the circumstances that caused it are behind them,” Campbell said. “This service is about giving people a real chance to move forward, opening the door to stable housing, and to everything that stable housing makes possible.”
Vineeth Hemavathi, executive director of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, said the organization has seen court records create barriers for people seeking housing.
“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,” Hemavathi said.
WCAC said residents do not need to bring court documents to begin the process, although they are encouraged to bring a photo ID. Interpretation services will be available.
Registration is required.
The eviction record-sealing assistance will be available as part of WCAC’s broader Community Day programming. According to the organization, those events also provide access to services including financial empowerment coaching, energy assistance, and youth and family programming.
WCAC serves residents across 43 communities in Worcester and Southern Worcester County through programs including its Job & Education Center, YouthWorks, Head Start and Early Head Start, financial empowerment services and energy assistance.
Residents interested in the eviction record-sealing assistance can learn more and register through the Worcester Community Action Council.
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• Project / Topic: Eviction record-sealing assistance at Worcester Community Action Council Community Day events.
• Current Status: WCAC has announced that it will provide on-site eviction record-sealing assistance in partnership with the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center.
• Key Dates or Decisions: The assistance is scheduled for September 14, 2026, at 18 Chestnut Street and October 8, 2026, at 219 Everett Street. Both events are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Estimated Cost: WCAC’s press release does not state a cost for the assistance.
• Timeline: The two announced Community Day events are scheduled for September 14 and October 8, 2026.
• Immediate Next Steps: Residents interested in the service must register. WCAC says residents are encouraged to bring a photo ID but do not need to bring court documents to begin the process.
• Primary Sources: Worcester Community Action Council press release dated August 25, 2026; Massachusetts eviction record-sealing law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 239, Section 16.
• What We Do Not Yet Know: WCAC has not stated how many residents are expected to receive assistance at the two events or how many attendees will ultimately qualify to petition to seal their records.
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