BOSTON— Rogerson Communities will honor the late Victoria Williams with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing her decades of advocacy for fair and affordable housing and equal housing rights in Boston.
Williams, a longtime friend and collaborator of Rogerson, will be recognized at the organization’s annual Welcome Home Gala on October 8 at the Boston Harbor Hotel. The event is Rogerson’s signature fundraising event supporting older adults.
Williams died recently after a career spanning more than three decades in senior-level positions with the City of Boston and extensive advocacy on behalf of older adults and equitable access to housing.
A lifelong Bostonian, Williams was best known for her work as director of Boston’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Created in 1995, the OCR serves as a human rights umbrella agency focused on promoting fair treatment and equal access for people living and working in Boston. Its areas of oversight include fair housing, discrimination in public accommodations, disability rights and access, and community relations.
Williams also served as executive director of the Boston Fair Housing Commission (BFHC), where she worked to advance fair housing and address barriers to equal housing opportunity throughout the city.
Among her accomplishments at the BFHC was pursuing enforcement authority through the Massachusetts Legislature to bring Boston law into greater alignment with federal fair housing law. She also strengthened the commission’s investigations and enforcement program.
Beyond her work in city government, Williams was deeply involved in Boston’s nonprofit community. She served as co-president of Forward, Inc., an organization founded by civil rights icon Melnea Cass to serve older adults in Roxbury. Forward has maintained a longstanding partnership with Rogerson Communities.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and collaborator,” said Walter Ramos, president and CEO of Rogerson Communities. “Her advocacy on behalf older adults and their well-being, from her work with the city to her leadership at Forward, Inc., are nothing short of inspirational. Seldom does one person have such an outsized positive impact on so many lives.”
The relationship between Forward and Rogerson dates back to 1999, when Forward engaged Rogerson to manage Council Tower and help preserve the housing resource for the Roxbury community.
Since then, Rogerson has undertaken significant improvements at Council Tower, including exterior renovations and upgrades to building systems.
