Youve been added to our list. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program Phone: 617.859.0400 More information is available here, or you can go to https://hedfuel.azurewebsites.net/ to find a legal aid program near you. . It will include enhanced features expected to create a more user-friendly experience and increase processing efficiency. A lock icon ( Find your regional agency and income eligibility data, Find Spanish language resources for landlords, FAQs for landlords about accepting state funded rental assistance. Owners, managers, and service providers sustain our nonprofit trade association with membership dues. Tenants and landlords can use mediation to resolve their problems without any court filing, or through court referrals. Families who have received HomeBASE funding may also be eligible for RAFT. Say a tenant has applied for RAFT, but the landlord, unable to wait, starts eviction before receiving RAFT response. They will also be able to register multiple properties under one profile, as long as all of the properties have the same tax identification number. Homeowners may access mortgage and other assistance through the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. RAFT, which has been around since 2005, has helped many families with things like security deposits, rent and furniture since its inception. If none of these are available, the applicant can self-certify. If the landlord decides to go ahead with eviction, are they on shaky legal ground? Log in or get access for as little as $3. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Information for landlords on emergency housing assistance, is, Information for landlords on emergency housing assistance. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as future rent in limited situations. The CM will sometimes follow up directly with the family with clarifying questions. The state is relying on RAFT to help renters during the pandemic, and the nonprofit is being criticized for long delays and mounting uncertainty. Forgiveness of arrearages or acceptance of reduced rent are not program requirements. This included applications received prior to that date that were not processed until after the first. RAFT - Metro Housing Boston RAFT gives short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. For information on how to request assistance, please clickhere. Visitors to these websites are encouraged to contact agency representatives, listed on the websites, to help with navigation, clarifying information and applying . Please limit your input to 500 characters. RAFT became the primary housing safety net during COVID-19. Subsidies resulting from RAFT applications during the COVID-19 pandemic were capped at 15 months total benefit. RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000, within a 12-month period, to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Applying for Rental Assistance in Massachusetts to Avoid Eviction, Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program. We will use this information to improve this page. To apply to Mass HAF, visit www.massmortgagehelp.org. While many of the special protections for homeowners impacted by COVID-19 are no longer in effect, owner-occupants of 1-4 family properties still may be able to seek relief. Mediation is a confidential, voluntary and non-judgmental process where a neutral third party (the mediator) helps people resolve differences based on what is important to them. fhousing@lhand.org Landlords and tenants can see their application status change as it moves through the system. c. 151B s. 4 states that it is an unlawful practice: For any person furnishing credit, services or rental accommodations to discriminate against any individual who is a recipient of federal, state, or local public assistance, including medical assistance, or who is a tenant receiving federal, state, or local housing subsidies, including rental assistance or rental supplements, because the individual is such a recipient, or because of any requirement of such public assistance, rental assistance, or housing subsidy program.. 6 Institute RoadWorcester, MA 01609 > Google Mapsphone: (508) 752-5519fax: (508) 752-5009, Staff Web MailSecure Delivery LoginSystem StatusHope for Housing Login, WALK photography by Joe Santa Maria - Kill the Ball Media. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. Either a landlord or a tenant may begin the RAFT application process by going to the existing landing page. Website Design by Compete Now. Depending on which agency or housing authority administers the voucher or subsidy, this may take the form of a lease or a rent share letter.. E-mail: info@metrohousingboston.org. Click below for a step-by-step guide on how to apply for the RAFT program: For additional RAFT application resources for tenants and landlords, please read our blog post here. Your email address will not be published. Once it launches statewide, the portal will be available in eight languages. Applicants should complete all of the fields in the preferred-language application and with all of the required documents, they may mail them to Metro Housing|Boston, 1411 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02120. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. endstream endobj 2600 0 obj <>stream The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. The same might apply to a landlord who initiated or continued eviction while a RAFT application is pending. People applying for RAFT must do so in the region where they intend to use their RAFT benefits. On December 12, 2022, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) launched a new online application portal for tenants and landlords to submit RAFT applications and required documents. Be sure to provide contact information for your landlord/property owner in your RAFT application. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. 100 Cambridge St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114. This would seem to suggest that RAFT can be refused when it does not fully cover arrears. Signed W-9 in the name of the property owner. To begin the landlord/property owner application process, you must first register an account as a new user if you have not already done so here: User Registration (mass.gov). Since each HCEC has its own website, we have tried to list the RAFT application links here: If any link doesn't work, visit the Housing Consumer Education Centers site, find the regional HCEC page, and then tell us which link to change. If you are facing imminent foreclosure within the next 7 days, the Massachusetts Division of Banks may be able to help by reaching out to your mortgage servicer to grant an extra 60 days to work out an alternative to foreclosure. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition could pay for moving costs, paying owed rent or utilities, security deposits or first/last months rent, among other uses. Interpreter services are available in multiple languages. If the link above does not work (please notify us using the "Need a Hand" widget below and right), then go to the regional directly. Landlord/Property Owner Portal Reference Guide Information for Applicants Effective August 1, 2022 the maximum benefit limit on the RAFT Program is $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. . To document COVID-related income loss, applicants may provide a letter from their employer showing lost or reduced hours, or documentation of loss of childcare (requiring the applicant to have to stop working). Starting Nov. 14, landlords or tenants in these areas were able to file new RAFT applications through the portal. Once someone receives initial approval, they can complete an application. The program can also be used to help families who are already homeless pay for necessary costs to get into a house or apartment. RAFT provides qualifying households with maximum benefit limit of $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. For households applying to RAFT for assistance with rent arrears, a notice to quit or eviction notice/court summons is now required. Others need 12 weeks or longer. They can use it for first and last months rent, a security deposit or even furniture (furniture expenses are capped at $1,000). If you have questions regarding how to complete the application, please contact Metro Housings Housing Hub at 617-425-6700 or via e-mail at ResourceLine@MetroHousingBoston.org. If you are unable to assist your client in completing the online application, printable applications can be found below. Landlords should consult their own legal counsel for advice before declining rental assistance that covers all outstanding rent arrears. Slides are available only for members in good standing who are logged in. Some regionals are releasing funds within three weeks of receiving a complete application. Consider Section 8. Prior to state and federal expansion during COVID-19, a family more than $4,000 in arrears with their landlord would have a hard time using RAFT funding to stave off eviction. Those administering the screening have some discretion in determining eligibility based on the tool. Administrators will also look at why the family is homeless or at risk of becoming so. The administration announced the RAFT COVID program in October as part of its $171 million Eviction Diversion Initiative. Thank you for your website feedback! RAFT provides qualifying households with maximum benefit limit of $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT), a short-term Massachusetts rental subsidy program, is designed to help families who are at risk of becoming homeless transition into stable housing. John Fisher, author of the Massachusetts Rental Owners Property Management Manual, said that RAFT regional agencies make direct payments to participating vendors (meaning landlords, utility companies, etc.). Does it matter whether RAFT COVID would cure or not? Outcome: Landlord's mother has an extended order of protection to protect her from the tenant, the court ordered the tenant to permit access so repairs could be made and landlord received one year's rent arrearage from the RAFT program. Click below for a step-by-step guide on how to apply for the RAFT program: Application processing can take several weeks and funds are not guaranteed. Once the application is in, the landlord will receive an email or call informing them an application has been started by one of their tenants. To check which agency is processing your application, visit theCentral Application Portaland click Application Information. You can also use the Central Application Portal to upload additional documents after your application is submitted.

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