Thousands of Massachusetts residents gained a new tool in the search for stable housing Monday, as a law took effect allowing eligible tenants to have their past eviction records sealed.
State Sen. Lydia Edwards, a longtime advocate for the law, said she already helped a constituent file an eviction-sealing petition Monday morning with the support of community organization City Life/Vida Urbana. Edwards said they used a website to fill out the paperwork.
“I was nervous. We got to, it was CourtFormsOnline.org — went to there, looked up housing, had the petition, just clicked on that. And then it literally walks you through: What’s your name, where’s your docket, your docket number — which everyone will need to have their docket number — and then what’s your address,” Edwards said at a press conference outside the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse in downtown Boston, where the Eastern Housing Court is located…