BOSTON
- Wednesday, June 3, 2020 - Building on his commitment to keeping the
residents of Boston stably housed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor
Martin J. Walsh today announced the reopening of the application process
for the Rental
Relief Fund at noon this Friday, June 5 with an infusion of $5 million
in new funding, in addition to the$3
million dedicated towards the Fund in April. The Rental Relief Fund was
established by Mayor Walsh as a means to provide income-eligible tenants in
the City of Boston with direct financial relief to assist with rental
payments. The deadline to complete the initial pre-screening application is
Friday, June 19, and applications will be available in seven languages on boston.gov/rentalrelief.
"During
this challenging time, it is important that we leverage all resources
available to ensure the health and safety of our residents, and to keep
them stably housed during the COVID-19 public health crisis," said
Mayor Walsh. "We know that many Bostonians are struggling, and we know
the need for assistance with housing payments remains, which is why we are
proud to make available this additional funding for households who
otherwise would be unable to make their rent payments."
The
amount of assistance renters receive is determined by analyzing their
income sources, including the federal Economic Impact Payment payments
residents may have received. To qualify for financial assistance from
Boston's Rental Relief Fund, households must reside in the City of Boston
and their income must be at or under 80% of Area Median Income which is
$90,650 for a family of four. Preference will continue to be given to
qualified applicants who were not eligible for unemployment benefits or,
due to the nature of their jobs, would not receive full benefits. The
Rental Relief Funds may be used for short-term rental assistance for up to
three months. The funds may be used to cover more than one month's rent or
may be used to supplement partial payments of rent. For each household,
financial assistance will not exceed more than $4,000 in a 12-month period.
Since
the Fund was first announced in April, the City has been working with
partner organizations including Metro Housing|Boston, Neighborhood of
Affordable Housing (NOAH) and Project Hope to process the 1,600
applications received, ensure required documentation is provided by the
applicant, and administer funds directly to the landlords. To date, over
$680,000 in assistance has been disseminated to 210 households in 17 different
neighborhoods to cover rent for April and May.
As
part of the application process, the City has made available staff from the
Department of Neighborhood Development and the Boston Planning &
Development Agency (BPDA) to support callbacks to applicants through the
application process. Assistance has been provided in multiple languages
with the help of multilingual City staff as well as telephonic
interpreters.
"NOAH
is proud to be able to participate in the Mayor's much-needed emergency
rent relief program," said Philip Giffee, Executive Director of NOAH.
"The City is to be congratulated for stepping up to provide millions
of dollars to help these vulnerable individuals and families remain housed
for the long term. The Mayor and the City staff are attuned to meeting the
needs of distressed households and by creating another round of rent relief
funding, they are looking to help both Boston residents as well as the
economy as whole. It is a wonderful effort among dedicated City staff and
hard-working non-profits which work closely with local community members to
assist them at this demanding time. NOAH is grateful to have the
opportunity to do this work."
Since
the first round of applications closed in mid-April, the City has been
receiving interest forms from residents who have requested information on
the next round of funding, and to date the City has received 3,375
expressions of interest forms. In an effort to better serve residents in
the current round announced today, the City is extending the pre-screening
period to two weeks to help applicants determine their eligibility, and
demonstrating the City's commitment to ensuring fair and equitable access
to this funding. The pre-application
screening forms will be available in seven languages from Friday, June
5 to Friday, June 19. Any qualified applicants from the first round who do
not receive funding will automatically be entered into the second round of
the fund.
A
person's immigration status is not asked during the Rental Relief Fund
application process and receiving funds does not impact other financial
assistance that a person may be already receiving. Additionally, assistance
from the Rental Relief Fund does not affect immigration applications as a
"public charge" ground of inadmissibility.
"Project
Hope has assisted families in our community for many years with eviction
prevention resources to ensure that families have a roof over their head
and parents and children can thrive," said Christine Dixon, Executive
Director of Project Hope. "We are pleased to be partnering with the
City of Boston to be able to connect families in crisis with critical
resources through the Rental Relief Fund in this time of unprecedented
need. We are grateful to Mayor Walsh for prioritizing housing stability for
families in our city."
"The
Boston Rental Relief Fund helps to relieve the fear and anxiety of losing
your home in the midst of a pandemic and economic crisis," said Zoe
Cronin, Managing Attorney of the Housing Unit at Greater Boston Legal
Services. "This fund is critical because it helps those most in need
and those not able to access other programs."
A
statewide eviction and foreclosure moratorium is currently in place across
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, protecting tenants from being evicted
and homeowners from foreclosure. The moratoriums will remain in place until
August 18 or 45 days after the state of emergency ends, whichever is
sooner. As part of the City's work to prepare for the end of these
moratoriums, this new infusion of funding, along with other housing
stability resources, will help keep hundreds of people in their
homes.
"Metro
Housing has been thrilled to partner with the City of Boston and the
Department of Neighborhood Development to connect residents in need with
critical rent relief funds," said Chris Norris, Executive Director of
Metro Housing Boston. "With applications from neighborhoods across the
city, the Rental Relief Fund is on track to help hundreds of families to
survive the current housing crises and remain in their homes, close to
their family, friends, and social supports."
Other
COVID-19 resources available on boston.gov and
through the City of Boston include free meals for students and adult
residents; free toiletries for Boston students; emergency childcare
centers; information on homeless shelters; transportation options for
healthcare workers; resources for those with substance use disorder; and
mental health resources. In addition, the City has launched boston.gov/reopening
with information on Boston's cautious, phased-in reopening of the economy.
For
information on additional programs, please visit boston.gov/coronavirus,
or call 3-1-1, Boston's 24-hour constituent hotline. Text BOSCOVID to
888-777 to receivetext
alerts on a regular basis, available in 11 languages.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
The
Department of Neighborhood Development is responsible for housing people
experiencing homelessness, developing affordable housing and ensuring that
renters and homeowners can find, maintain and stay in their homes. As part
of the ongoing COVID-19 response, the Office of Housing Stability is also
conducting tenant's rights workshops to educate residents about the
eviction moratorium. The Boston Home Center continues to provide down
payment assistance to first-time homebuyers and home repairs for seniors
and low income residents. The Supportive Housing Division is working with
various partners around the city to rapidly house individuals who are
experiencing homelessness.
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