Please limit your input to 500 characters. For more guidance on how to apply and create a landlord profile, please utilize this reference guide: Housing Assistance Application Reference Guide (mass.gov), For a list of landlords/property owners Frequently Asked Questions, visit: Landlord FAQs download (mass.gov), For other resources, including recordings of webinars about Landlord/Property Owner RAFT Application Portal, visit: RAFT Public Resource and Training Portal | Mass.gov. For more information, visit the states RAFT guidance page. Landlords can apply directly for rental assistance on behalf of eligible residents. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. 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. 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. Additional documentation that backs up the applicants claim for needing funding may also be required. LANDLORD JOURNEYS: Understand what to expect when you or your tenant applies for emergency housing payment assistance. Landlords of tenants who receive RAFT COVID funds do not lose the right to evict due to lease violations, or in the event that agreements including use of RAFT funds are not complied with. 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.. These twelve organizations process RAFT applications, request additional documentation as needed, and administer RAFT benefits (directly to the landlord or utility provider). Renters or landlords can apply by submitting an online application. If your renters are in a tough spot, it is worth checking to see if RAFT funds are available and if your renters qualify. Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Emergency Rental Assistance: Landlord Journeys. If you do not think your tenant has access to email, DHCD recommends you have your tenant initiate the application with their local RAA. A lawyer can advise you about the law, refer you to resources, fill out and file court papers, and represent you. We pointed out that RAFT has expanded to a point where it has become a primary safety net, and with that status it receives a high level of scrutiny similar to that of Section 8, the states Housing Choice Voucher Program, administered by DHCDs Division of Rental Assistance. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. 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. Massachusetts' Rental Assistance for Families in Transition program, or RAFT, offers funds for eligible households facing eviction, loss of utilities or other housing . If additional income documentation is needed, the organization processing your RAFT application will reach out to you to request it. contact the Housing and Community Development. A map of DHCDs regional administering agencies throughout the state with names in key.CC-BY SA 4.0 MassLandlords. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can also help youfind a housing counseling agency (HCA). The short answer is: No. Appropriate uses of funds include, but are not limited to: Financial Assistance Application Haitian Creole, Financial Assistance Application Portuguese, Financial Assistance Application Vietnamese, Financial Assistance Application in Chinese, Metro Housing|Boston Homeowners may be eligible for assistance through the Homeowners Assistance Fund. . Thank you! If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. RAFT is administered by eleven Regional Administering Agencies (RAAs) as well as the Rental Assistance Processing (RAP) Center operated by Nan McKay and Associates (NMA). Fax . ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. In these cases, a landlord accepting the terms of the increased RAFT COVID limit would be extending a tenancy deep in arrears while forfeiting the ability to recoup any losses for at least six more months. If you think RAFT could help your renter and you apply on their behalf, you will need to provide their email address. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state, Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program. However, if COVID RAFT is mandatory and must be accepted for eligible renters, it presents a serious financial hardship for some owners who are not in position to forgive arrears or forswear termination. If you do not provide the required information within two weeks, your application will be timed out. It is very important to submit a complete application. Housing verification (Examples: a lease, tenancy agreement, or tenancy at will agreement) Proof of Identity of the property owner. Language Assistance Plan (LAP) | Reasonable Accomodations, function googleTranslateElementInit() { Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). Owners, managers, and service providers sustain our nonprofit trade association with membership dues. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent. For households applying to RAFT for assistance with rent arrears, a notice to quit or eviction notice/court summons is now required. :If your tenant has already submitted an application for rental assistance, please do not reapply. Note that the Tenant Application Code is different from their Case ID. Posted in News - 0 Comments. If you are unable to assist your client in completing the online application, printable applications can be found below. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Until Jan. 1, 2023, Landlords are required to send a notice to quit for non-payment of rent. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent. Section 8 requires an inspection, to certify a rental units health and safety suitability. You cannot save and return to an application, so you must complete your application in one sitting. Find your regional agency and income eligibility data, Find Spanish language resources for landlords, FAQs for landlords about accepting state funded rental assistance. RAFT sends payments to your landlord or mortgage company. Open to all. Step 3: Program staff will review your funds application and will contact you asking for further documentation, if needed. Landlords and property managers will be able to create a profile on the portal with their W-9 and payment information. The state is relying on RAFT to help renters during the pandemic, and the nonprofit is being criticized for long delays and mounting uncertainty. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. For households applying to RAFT for assistance with rent arrears, a Notice to Quit or eviction notice/court summons is now required. (781) 581-8600, Hours The extra RAFT funds from the federal government were meant to be used within a specific amount of time. 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The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. For greater efficiency, these documents should be submitted with the referral. If the tenant is the one applying, the application will ask them for their landlords contact information (email or phone number). Not submitted means an application has been started, but not completed and turned in. No definition of the legality of opting out of RAFT COVID assistance emerged from these correspondences. It is important that you complete your application to the best of your ability before submitting in order to receive an award or denial quickly. Se enfrenta al desalojo? Though mass.gov is not completely clear on whether current participants in the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) or Section 8 are RAFT-eligible, wording from the 2020 RAFT administrative plan states that If a family is using RAFT to move into a unit with a subsidy, proof of the total contract rent and of the tenants rent share must be provided. For Landlords. RAFT may be used for the following costs: One prospective (future) rent payment (stipend) in limited situations, Moving-related expenses (first/last/security, moving trucks, and furniture). Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). _ It will include enhanced features expected to create a more user-friendly experience and increase processing efficiency. If both parties are amenable to changing the agreement, the tenant would not have to reapply, butthey would need to executea new agreement. 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). The administering agency could require a handrail to be installed, even though this would cause the landlord to lose money on the Section 8 rental compared to a market rental, which would not necessarily trigger enforcement of that part of the code (ignoring, for the sake of argument, that the handrail should be provided regardless of an inspection). Discrimination by a landlord is prohibited. RAFT provides short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Use this button to show and access all levels. Landlords and property owners can (a) begin the RAFT application process for their tenants who may need to request financial assistance for overdue rent OR (b) complete the application once the tenant has submitted their application. If you are unable to access or submit an online application, please email us at HCEC@rcapsolutions.org or call us at 978-630-6771 for assistance. LAS VEGAS (KSNV) The City of Las Vegas is taking applications once again for its newly re-funded Rental Assistance for Tenants (RAFT) program. The tenant may then file an answer and all tenant/landlord information is sent to the CHAP program and to Home Means Nevada, the administrator of the Eviction Mediation Program . The state RAFT program may provide up to $10,000 for rent and other housing costs, including moving expenses. A lock icon ( 24th Annual Mulligan Tournament Friday, June 9th, 2023 8:00AM Purchase Tickets and Sponsorships RAFT For Tenants, Landlords & Utilities Important Rental Assistance Update New RAFT Applicant? Some regionals are releasing funds within three weeks of receiving a complete application. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. RAFT gives short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Program administrators will determine if your application qualifies for ERMA or RAFT. The RAFT COVID programs stated optionality may leave landlords who opt out exposed to litigation. The program allows renters whose income has been affected by COVID-19 and the economic response to receive up to $10,000 in public assistance to cover rent payments, past, present and/or future. People applying for RAFT must do so in the region where they intend to use their RAFT benefits. Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Applying for Rental Assistance in Massachusetts to Avoid Eviction, contact the Housing and Community Development. But if they are moving out, any number of circumstances could have kept those funds from being directed towards you. Once submitted, applications cannot be edited, but additional documents can be attached if necessary. States that did not use all of the federal money they were allocated were at risk of having that money "clawed back" by the U.S. Treasury. +8(!a]FJ@J3D8OzF@F@@AOaGJh pC4z RAFT provides qualifying households with up to $10,000 per household in a 12-month period to preserve current housing or move to new housing. Households that already receive income-based rental subsides are ineligible for prospective payments, and payments may not exceed the maximum benefit limit. A list of regional agencies can be found at the Massachusetts Housing Consumer Education Centers site. Renters or landlords can apply by submitting an online application. Community mediation and free or low-cost legal assistance for eligible parties can help landlords work with tenants to avoid eviction. 2598 0 obj
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Landlords will see it was denied but will not be given tenants private information. For more information about how to apply, please visit our landlord page. The RAFT COVID program is presented as an option to landlords, who may, according to its language, decide whether or not to accept the funding in excess of $4,000. 10 Church Street ^ZdS&6mBHp0p12!BB:)0**Xi"3()x*X)jS]II5z 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Landlords and property owners can (a) begin the RAFT application process for their tenants who may need to request financial assistance for overdue rent OR (b) complete the application once the tenant has submitted their application. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. 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. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and response, the state of Massachusetts initially made an additional $5 million available for RAFT. Tuesday 8 AM 7 PM oSSx3xg=]z3|3|1Y|L8fu?|O>w~>~~o>j~Vc~_yw|yw/k7w/xwq&-Gd[WW? 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. The requirement of only one set of signatures; Reduced documentation requirements for household identification new income verification processes will allow for automatic data matching with DTA, MassHealth, or DOR (UIOnline and WageMatch). 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. You can find information of HAFhereorcall 2-1-1 for more information. 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 feedback will only be used for improving the website. The wait time in some cases has been months.. 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. More information is available here, or you can go to https://hedfuel.azurewebsites.net/ to find a legal aid program near you. Some page levels are currently hidden. Tenants and landlords can use mediation to resolve their problems without any court filing, or through court referrals. 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. There are two additional tools for landlords and tenants to prevent an eviction. They can also provide a copy of their application for unemployment insurance, documentation of loss of insurance or documentation of the death of a household member who contributed to the households income. 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. MassLandlords has sought clarification on the likelihood of litigation of the RAFT COVID provisions optionality, in correspondence with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), and the state Attorney Generals office. If all the required documents are uploaded, the CM will not need to contact the applicant and will instead contact the referring agency. This could include families who are facing eviction. The RAFT Program is a homelessness prevention program funded by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). 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). You must have your application number in order to submit documents or to determine which agency is processing your application. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. Therefore, going through a regional Housing Consumer Education Center to complete an intake assessment is the first step to accessing RAFT funding. Please limit your input to 500 characters. RAFT became the primary housing safety net during COVID-19. During(or after)the RAFT benefit period, the tenant violates a lease clause that is unrelated to payment of rent. The program started Nov. 14 in two regions, with statewide rollout expected sometime in mid-December. The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program may provide income-eligible households with up to $10,000 to pay utilities or moving costs, overdue rent, or future rent in limited situations, and once approved, these payments are sent directly to landlords. Or acceptance of reduced rent for the period of the agreement? Applications received by April 15th, 2022 will be considered for ERAP until all funds have been allocated. Applicationsfor rental assistance received after April 15th will be considered for assistance under the more targeted state-fundedResidential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program, subject to fundingavailability. Homeowners in need of mortgage assistance or other housing assistance may apply for the new Homeowner Assistance Fund (MA HAF) Program. We can help. You are entitled to a legal proceeding in which you can defend against an eviction. Join us! 100 Cambridge St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114. 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. A lock icon ( The process for referrals from partner agencies has several steps: For greatest efficiency and to ensure the swiftest process, please provide all required documents and explanation of the housing crisis. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. Please do not include personal or contact information. 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. 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. All calls are free and confidential. If a family is determined to be ineligible for benefits, they may reapply after 30 days. 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. The RAFT COVID program is very new and RAFT administrators are flooded with applications as households struggle with job and income losses. Consider Section 8. 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. You skipped the table of contents section. Log in or get access for as little as $3. You skipped the table of contents section. Submitted lets the landlord or tenant know that the application has been submitted but is still waiting for the other party to match with the application using the specialized code. General Law 151B, the states discrimination law, bars discriminating against anyone receiving public assistance, including rental assistance. Funded by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), RAFT is described as a homelessness prevention program[that] provides short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. In other words, it is flexible funding that can be used for a variety of housing-related expenses, depending on the needs of the individual family. Say a tenant has applied for RAFT, but the landlord, unable to wait, starts eviction before receiving RAFT response. Households can apply by submitting an online application. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. 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. Better Communities. The RAFT COVID program is presented as an option to landlords, who may, according to its language, decide whether or not to accept the funding in excess of $4,000. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. 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. Please visit this link to learn more about HAF and to see if you may be eligible. Slides are available only for members in good standing who are logged in. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Thank you for your website feedback! Open to all. If a family had used RAFT funds to stave off becoming homeless, but in the end were not able to remain in housing, they could see less HomeBASE funding later on. 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 . I have one tenant who applied [to RAFT] and didnt receive a call back at all, she said. 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 your tenant has not previously applied for rental assistance, start an application by asking for your tenant to sign the required consent form that is available through the regional agency. 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. 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. Work with your renters to provide your part of the information as soon as requested. We will use this information to improve this page. They can use it for first and last months rent, a security deposit or even furniture (furniture expenses are capped at $1,000). Presentation: RAFT (How to Apply on behalf of Renters), DHCD Announces New RAFT Application Portal Pilot Began Nov. 14, literature published by Metro Housing Boston, Housing Assistance Corporation RAFT Application, Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority RAFT Application, Berkshire Housing Development Corporation RAFT Application, Information for landlords on emergency housing assistance, Find your regional agency and income eligibility, The Housing Assistance Application Reference Guide, Statewide Rental Real Estate Networking and Training, Community Teamwork RAFT Application for North Shore, Lowell, Lawrence link coming soon, South Middlesex Opportunity Council RAFT Application for MetroWest link coming soon. The landlord may file for eviction under the following situations. RAFT is a one-time or as-needed subsidy currently in vogue, with none of the long-term stabilizing power of permanent rental subsidy, but with more responsive application timeframes. . 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Applicants who have not already done so will be prompted to create a new profile and account. Better Policy. Please limit your input to 500 characters. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. RAFT provides qualifying households with maximum benefit limit of $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. Contact the Volunteer Lawyers Project for more information. 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. In 2020, this limit was increased to $10,000, but was decreased to $7,000 within a rolling 12-month period on Jan. 1, 2022. 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. Then, during the case, RAFT responds, offering an amount of rental assistance funds, eventually, that will cure nonpayment. Jog I5N7=Ziph2IaL)"Q LA01A You can also use the eligibility checker toolhere to see if you might be eligible for RAFT. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as future rent in limited situations. You can apply for RAFT online through the Commonwealths Central Application. Low-income tenants may be eligible to receive help with paying their rent through the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and regional administering agencies. If the landlord accepts, they forfeit the right to evict for six months or until June 2021. This could include loss of income or increased expenses for those families in the higher income group (3080% AMI depending on funding source). Our assessment is that claims are less likely where RAFT would not fully cover arrears and future shortfall, but more likely where RAFT would. Applicants must meet certain criteria to be eligible for RAFT: Risk of homelessness/housing instability (example: applicant has received a Notice to Quit), Currently renting or moving to a new rental, Income at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI), or 60% of AMI for households who are at risk of domestic violence (you can check AMI in your city/town using this online tool). 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 ). This included applications received prior to that date that were not processed until after the first. }w~W. Starting Nov. 14, landlords or tenants in these areas were able to file new RAFT applications through the portal. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. A tenant who is late on rent could sign up for the program, receive funds, and use it to put down a security deposit on another housing unit elsewhere. Examples include, but are not limited to, Notice to Quit, courtsummons, utility shutoff notice., Name, DOB, sex, race, ethnicity and SSN (when available) forall adultmembers of the household, Identification for the head of household (Examples: photo id, license, birth certificate,passport), Rental information: Lease/tenancy agreement, amount of rent,amount of arrears, whether they have a rental subsidy, Household income (see more details here on income verification), W-9 from payee (landlord/property owner). 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. Are your tenants behind on rent? Section 8 is permanent (as long as the recipient remains eligible for funding), and it guarantees the landlord will receive rent. When calling, please leave your name, call back number and application number. Learn about rental assistance programs available to eligible tenants. Before you begin your application, be sure you have the following documents ready to upload: ID for Head of Household (expired or international forms of ID are acceptable), Verification of current housing (example: your current lease or rental agreement), Verification of eligible housing crisis and arrears (examples: a Notice to Quit from your landlord; eviction notice; or documentation showing an inability to stay in your current home due to health, safety, or other reasons).
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