For Clients
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TENANT ADVOCACY PROJECT (TAP)

TAP is a student practice organization at Harvard Law School. Under the supervision of an attorney, student advocates provide free legal advice and representation for tenants at hearings before local housing authorities. 

Our clients are:

  • Public housing tenants
  • Public housing applicants
  • Section 8 or MRVP voucher recipients
  • Section 8 or MRVP voucher applicants
  • Tenants who need advice on landlord-tenant problems (for tenants in the Greater Boston area who are Section 8 or  MRVP voucher holders, or public housing applicants or tenants)
 

If you need legal assistance

 

We are happy to discuss your situation over the telephone. Unfortunately, we cannot take walk-ins.  

 

Note:  Please call us as soon as you know you have a housing problem.

If you are not able to speak with someone when you call, please leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as possible.  The telephone number is 617-495-4394.  

If you prefer to email TAP, our email address is:  tap@law.harvard.edu.

Learn more about the details of the TAP intake process and what to expect when you call or email TAP for legal assistance: 

 

 Information for Tenants Seeking Legal Representation

TAP's Service Area

TAP represents tenants whose public housing, Section 8 or MRVP is administered at the following public housing agencies:

Arlington, Belmont, Boston (BHA), Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett,  Malden,  Medford, Melrose, Milton, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn; and Metro Housing Boston.

Types of Cases & Service Area

TAP provides representation at administrative hearings at public housing authorities/agencies regarding:


Public Housing Eviction
Application denials for public housing, Section 8 and MRVP
Reasonable accommodation requests
Residual tenancy
Transfer denials
Subsidy terminations. 


By subsidy we mean only the subsidies (Section 8 and Mass Rental Voucher Program) that are administered by housing agencies and in which tenants have the right to a hearing at a public housing agency.

TAP also provides telephone advice on general landlord-tenant problems only for tenants who have Section 8 vouchers, MRVP assistance or who live in public housing, if the housing voucher or assistance is administered by a housing agency listed in TAP’s service area.

Cases Not Handled

 

TAP does not provide any representation in court.

TAP does not accept cases where the housing subsidy is not administered by a public housing agency (e.g. HUD-subsidized or MassHousing-subsidized housing).

TAP does not handle Home Base cases.

TAP does not provide landlord-tenant advice to tenants who do not have Section 8 or MRVP vouchers, or who do not live in public housing.: