RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent, as well as future rent in limited situations. Fair Housing Policies & Procedures | Privacy Policy, Lynn HOME-ARP Allocation Plan Community Forum Information. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. RAFT does not serve homeowners. Search Eviction Records by Address (Beta). Program funds can be used for housing-related expenses only. Both the RAFT and RAFT COVID programs are using a new application launched on October 19 (the first day of business after the states eviction moratorium expiration), which features: As part of the RAFT COVID application and in order to receive RAFT funding in excess of the traditional $4,000, up to $10,000 a landlord must agree not to evict, for nonpayment, a tenant who has received program funding for six months, or, in the case of a family with school-aged children, through June 2021, whichever date is later. But if they are moving out, any number of circumstances could have kept those funds from being directed towards you. Find out whether your tenant has already submitted an application for rental assistance. Landlords and tenants can see their application status change as it moves through the system. To view all of this presentation, you must be logged-in and a member in good standing. Landlords should be aware that Chapter 151B of the Massachusetts General Laws prohibits discrimination bya landlord against anytenant receiving federal, state, or local housing subsidies, including rentalassistance or rental supplements, because the individual is such a recipient. Not submitted means an application has been started, but not completed and turned in. All calls are free and confidential. A landlords refusal to accept emergency rental assistance, that covers the entire amount owed to the landlord, may, in some circumstances, constitute a violation of Chapter 151B. It is very important landlords coordinate with tenants before they apply for rental assistance. 3. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as future rent in limited situations. If you are a landlord and you believe your tenant may be eligible for rental assistance, you should: Learn about the RAFT program and other available resources. General Law 151B, the states discrimination law, bars discriminating against anyone receiving public assistance, including rental assistance. RAFT provides qualifying households with up to $10,000 per year to preserve current housing or move to new housing. In case you cannot afford counsel, a provision of the governors Eviction Diversion Initiative set aside funds to help provide legal counsel to people who could not afford representation (a sizable percentage of mom-and-pop landlords). Households composed of any of the following:Individuals, families with older children, couples without children, unaccompanied youth, and households of any size. You skipped the table of contents section. How to Apply for RAFT | Mass.gov A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. Landlords can apply directly for rental assistance on behalf of eligible residents. If an asking rent price for a particular unit is above fair market rent or payment standard, discrimination law does not require a landlord to take less than the full rent to accommodate Section 8 recipients. RAFT gives short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. A RAFT application was the primary way to access the safety net for the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. If the landlord applies on behalf of the tenant, the tenant will receive the code and a prompt to begin their part of the application. The landlord contacted VLP to seek legal advice. As of Aug. 1 2022, households can obtain up to 12 months of assistance, capped at $10,000. Therefore, stronger definition is needed around the $10,000 optionality, either to protect landlords from harmful litigation based on discrimination charges, or to protect renters from a weakening of our important discrimination protections. For more information on the federal ERAP, SHERA, and ERMA programs, please visit this page. Its possible that this legally linguistic contradiction may not be addressed until litigation is brought forth. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. Frequently Asked Questions for Landlords about Accepting State Funded The administration announced the RAFT COVID program in October as part of its $171 million Eviction Diversion Initiative. You are entitled to a legal proceeding in which you can defend against an eviction. Step 3: Program staff will review your funds application and will contact you asking for further documentation, if needed. For households applying to RAFT for assistance with rent arrears, a Notice to Quit or eviction notice/court summons is now required. If the landlord accepts, they forfeit the right to evict for six months or until June 2021. You skipped the table of contents section. Landlord struggling because your tenant cant pay the rent? Landlords should be aware that Chapter 151B of the Massachusetts General Laws prohibits discrimination by a landlord against any tenant receiving federal, state, or local housing subsidies . They were eligible to reapply after that time, but had to wait 12 months from their first received payment. We will use this information to improve this page. There does not appear to be a clear answer for when funding is received, however, the first payment of the benefit must be used within 60 days of an applicant being determined eligible for RAFT money (barring documented administrative delays or extenuating circumstances). Please limit your input to 500 characters. Once you have submitted your application, your landlord/property owner will be asked to provide the following documents: The RAFT application takes between 20-50 minutes to complete. The CM will review all documents and will follow up with the service provider by email or phone if they are in need of additional documents. In that case, a landlord who has exercised the option to turn down RAFT COVID funding for a tenant, who then began or continued an eviction process for that tenant, may be vulnerable to a discrimination claim. The CM will sometimes follow up directly with the family with clarifying questions. To learn more about eligibility, resources, and applying, homeowners can visit www.massmortgagehelp.org. RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000 per household to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. The federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) stopped accepting applications on April 15, 2022. Once a landlord/property owner has an account, you can apply here: MA Emergency Housing Payment Assistance Portal (mass.gov) If your tenant has already completed their application at the time you are submitting the landlord application, be sure to include the Tenant Application Code that you received in your email. The state RAFT program may provide up to up to $10,000 per household in a 12-month period for rent and other housing costs, including moving expenses. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Landlords should beware of a potentially problematic legal gray area built into the language of the RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) COVID $10,000 option. This could include families who are facing eviction. Renters or landlords can apply by submitting an online application. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Some page levels are currently hidden. If a family is eligible at this point, they must prove that the assistance they receive from RAFT will stabilize the current housing situation. In other words, a family applying for RAFT must show that after the funds are applied, they have enough income to either obtain new housing, remain in their current housing or otherwise avoid homelessness. MassLandlords interprets this to mean that a family who was facing eviction could, for example, obtain RAFT funding to get current on their rent and remain in housing, rent a new place, or use the money to pay court-ordered debts and then move in with family. Tenant income eligibility limit forassistanceis 50%of the Area Median Income(AMI), or 60% of AMI for households who are at risk of domestic violence. This would seem to suggest that RAFT can be refused when it does not fully cover arrears. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000 per household, within a 12-month period, to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. Once you submit your application through the online portal, a Regional Administering Agency (RAA) or the Rental Assistance Processing Center (RAP Center) will process your application. Open the email and click on the link provided to create your Landlord application. hV\YZ^c3p*p #? by Nomer Caceres. Required fields are marked *. You can find more information on RAFT and other housing resources by dialing 2-1-1, contacting your local Housing Consumer Education Center(HCEC), or at the following links: Emergency Housing Payment Assistance during COVID-19, Report fraud, waste, or abuse of the RAFT program, Please listen for phone menu options for DHCD divisions. One way of proving eligibility can be by providing a months worth of pay stubs, or self-certification that this source of income is gone. Until Jan. 1, 2023, a Notice to Quit must be accompanied by information about tenants rights and rental assistance options. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. Until Jan. 1, 2023, Landlords are required to send a notice to quit for non-payment of rent. 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. Massachusetts Community Mediation Centers also offer free pre-court mediation between landlords and tenants for COVID-19 related lease disputes in addition to the summary process cases referred through the courts. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Also, the MassLandlords Helpline is a valuable resource for business advice and legal information. 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. For Landlords. _ Discrimination by a landlord is prohibited. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Office of Housing Stability - City of Revere, Massachusetts Despite statements from the Baker-Polito administration and our best efforts at clarification, we are unable to verify that the expanded limit of RAFT COVID will be declared legally optional by a court. The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the pilot program for its new application portal for the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). E-mail: info@metrohousingboston.org. If they have no future income, a landlord would have expectation of additional losses. Also, in order to qualify for RAFT COVID funds, tenants household income must be at or below 50% of Area Median Income. Refusing RAFT = Discrimination? Yes, Says Attorney General This verbiage implies that families who receive rental vouchers may also receive RAFT funds, at least under certain circumstances. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can also help youfind a housing counseling agency (HCA). TheVolunteer Lawyers Projectassists low-income owners of 1-4 family homes with referrals, legal information, and legal representation for COVID-related evictions statewide in Housing Court. Please limit your input to 500 characters. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent, as well as forward rent in limited situations. How Landlords Can Apply for RAFT | Mass.gov 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.). Either a landlord or a tenant may begin the RAFT application process by going to the existing landing page. It will include enhanced features expected to create a more user-friendly experience and increase processing efficiency. Therefore, landlords in these situations might opt not to accept the RAFT COVID extension beyond $4,000 for their tenants, in order to retain the right to evict and find new tenants. Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Boston is approximately $1,927 (taken from a combination of averages calculated by listing rental agencies Zumper and apartmentlist.com). . Lynn, MA 01902 Applicants who have not already done so will be prompted to create a new profile and account. HomeBASE is a program for families who are experiencing homelessness and are living in shelters. Residents can call 702-229-5935 if they are facing an eviction or need help applying for the RAFT program Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Detail - Las Vegas For information on how to request assistance, please clickhere. In this article, well look at what RAFT is, who it is designed to benefit, how it affects landlords and the areas where it could be doing more for families in need. Homeowners in need of mortgage assistance or other housing assistance may apply for the new Homeowner Assistance Fund (MA HAF) Program. Better Policy. 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.. Note that you as the landlord must provide information for the RAFT application. The RAFT application system requires both a tenant application and a landlord application for tenants who are requesting rental assistance. Our assessment is that claims are less likely where RAFT would not fully cover arrears and future shortfall, but more likely where RAFT would. Landlords and property managers will be able to create a profile on the portal with their W-9 and payment information. The new application portal is designed to replace the current central application process. new google.translate.TranslateElement({pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages : 'sq,am,ar,zh-CN,zh-TW,fr,de,es,ht,it,km,fa,pt,ru,so,sw,vi', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.SIMPLE}, 'google_translate_element'); A landlord who accepts RAFTfundingdoes not losethe ability to file for eviction due tolease violations that may occur in the future. Households applying after Aug. 1, 2022, must have been served a notice to quit or eviction notice, or have a court summons for owed rent in order to be eligible. )0OP[S{ endstream endobj 2600 0 obj <>stream The program can also be used to help families who are already homeless pay for necessary costs to get into a house or apartment. Homeowners may be eligible for assistance through the Homeowners Assistance Fund. 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. Applications with all required information and documentation will be processed more quickly than those with missing information and documentation. This could delay the approval process. 100 Cambridge St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114. Please limit your input to 500 characters. 10 Church Street Your email address will not be published. Monday 8 AM 4 PM Applications already in progress continued to be processed through the system already in place. There are two additional tools for landlords and tenants to prevent an eviction. Toll-Free: 800.272.0990 Better Lives. 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. Monthly updates, smart and relevant articles, and free premium content. This could include loss of income or increased expenses for those families in the higher income group (3080% AMI depending on funding source). Homeowners may access mortgage and other assistance through the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). If your income can be verified with government databases, you will not have to submit any additional income documentation. The rental assistance agreementincludes the following line: If the Participant's tenancy is terminated prior to the period for which any monthly rental stipend payments were made, I agree to return the unused balance of said funds to the Agency.. Legislative Affairs Counsel Renters who are in arrears may qualify for one or more subsidies, e.g., Rental Assistance for Families in Transition ( RAFT ), Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance ( ERMA ), and Emergency Assistance Rental Program ( ERAP ). It is important to submit a complete application for RAFT to receive support quickly. :If your tenanthas notapplied, startan application by asking for yourtenant to sign the required consentform that is available through theregional agency. This additional funding program had slightly different eligibility standards than the regular RAFT program, and was used for mortgage foreclosures and loss of utilities, not just evictions. Once submitted, applications cannot be edited, but additional documents can be attached if necessary. For households applying to RAFT for assistance with rent arrears, a notice to quit or eviction notice/court summons is now required. RAFT - Lynn Housing Authority Youve been added to our list. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Initially, families accessing RAFT funds received between $1,500 and $3,000 as a one-time payment, according to literature published by Metro Housing Boston. Applications received by April 15th, 2022 will be considered for ERAP until all funds have been allocated. Mass. No definition of the legality of opting out of RAFT COVID assistance emerged from these correspondences. Maximum arrears are $44,615.). Under the current system, landlords applying on behalf of their tenants must include a signed tenant consent form, but the dual nature of the new portal application removes the need for this. A Notice to Quit is NOT an eviction. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts.
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