Or acceptance of reduced rent for the period of the agreement? There are many cases in Massachusetts in which landlords are owed rent of well over $10,000, such that RAFT alone would not cure arrearages or cover foreseeable future shortfall. LANDLORD JOURNEYS: Understand what to expect when you or your tenant applies for emergency housing payment assistance. The intake form does not need to be completed in person, however. . If youown a 1-4 family home and are having trouble paying your mortgage, you may also be eligible for mortgage assistanceunder the states Homeowners Assistance Fund (HAF) program which includes assistance for eligible owner-occupants of 1-4 family homes. In those cases, landlords may seek to evict before the RAFT process has begun. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. RAFT - Metro Housing Boston Fair Housing Policies & Procedures | Privacy Policy, Lynn HOME-ARP Allocation Plan Community Forum Information. 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. RAFT Program - 5 Things to Know Sage Jankowitz | Cambridge Real Estate Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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. }. They can use it for first and last months rent, a security deposit or even furniture (furniture expenses are capped at $1,000). The long answer is a bit more complicated. Open to all. It can provide funds for the same housing-related expenses that RAFT covers. RAFT became the primary housing safety net during COVID-19. 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. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Homeowners may be eligible for assistance through the Homeowners Assistance Fund. Alandlord's refusal to accept emergency rental assistance,thatcoversthe entire amount owed to the landlord,may,in some circumstances,constitute a violation of Chapter 151B. A Landlord's Guide to Massachusetts' Residential Assistance for 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. It will take between four and seven weeks to process all applications. During COVID-19, the sustainability requirement was removed (Jan. 11, 2021), and then after it was reinstated. 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. Program funds can be used for housing-related expenses only. If the landlord decides to go ahead with eviction, are they on shaky legal ground? 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. Consent is implied when the tenant fills out their portion of the application. All funding sources are now merged behind one single RAFT application. Visitors to these websites are encouraged to contact agency representatives, listed on the websites, to help with navigation, clarifying information and applying . The system will automatically match the codes and bring the two parts together. Friday 8 AM 12:30 PM. :If your tenant has already submitted an application for rental assistance, please do not reapply. Some page levels are currently hidden. Updated April 14th, 2023 Housing verification (Examples: a lease, tenancy agreement, or tenancy at will agreement) Proof of Identity of the property owner. fhousing@lhand.org Please do not include personal or contact information. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent, as well as future rent in limited situations. Tuesday 8 AM 7 PM If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. More information is available here, or you can go to https://hedfuel.azurewebsites.net/ to find a legal aid program near you. The administration announced the RAFT COVID program in October as part of its $171 million Eviction Diversion Initiative. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as forward rent in limited situations. Slides are available only for members in good standing who are logged in. Its possible that this legally linguistic contradiction may not be addressed until litigation is brought forth. RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000 per household to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. Prior to COVID-19, RAFT monies were only awarded if the applicant could demonstrate a way to remain in housing after the RAFT funds has been expended. The new agreement would still need tocomply with all RAFT requirements. Tenants and landlords can use mediation to resolve their problems without any court filing, or through court referrals. The two programs also serve different purposes. 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. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. 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 ). Then, during the case, RAFT responds, offering an amount of rental assistance funds, eventually, that will cure nonpayment. Also, the MassLandlords Helpline is a valuable resource for business advice and legal information. First published December 17th, 2020 | To apply to Mass HAF, visit www.massmortgagehelp.org. 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. Apply here Already applied? You can find more information below. Of the approximately $400 million allocated to Massachusetts in the December 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA 2021), 65% had to be spent by Sept. 30, 2021, to avoid clawback. Subsidies resulting from RAFT applications during the COVID-19 pandemic were capped at 15 months total benefit. Better Policy. _ To view all of this presentation, you must be logged-in and a member in good standing. The tenant should contact the landlord and rental assistance agency. You do not need to immediately leave your apartment. The RAFT COVID program appears to be presented as an option for landlords to accept or decline. The tenant does not receive funding directly. At this time, the MA Emergency Housing payment Assistance Application is not accepting applications from homeowners. 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). Log in or get access for as little as $3. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. In addition to the documents listed above, an application for RAFT also requires documentation from your landlord/property owner. Once submitted, applications cannot be edited, but additional documents can be attached if necessary. Landlords and tenants can see their application status change as it moves through the system. RAFT Emergency Assistance - HRA - fcrhra A landlord who accepts RAFTfundingdoes not losethe ability to file for eviction due tolease violations that may occur in the future. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. RAFT can provide up to $10,000 per household within a 12-month period to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. 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. These deadlines were shared with MassLandlords and others by a state official over the March 25, 2021, stakeholder zoom. RAFT was first piloted in 2005, with a budget of $2 million for that first year. A Landlords Guide to Massachusetts Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program, Search Eviction Records by Address (Beta), Webinar: Rental Assistance Application Process RAFT ERMA. Landlords can begin the application process . Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The same might apply to a landlord who initiated or continued eviction while a RAFT application is pending. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Toll-Free: 800.272.0990 Paper applications will still be available at RAAs if tenants need them. This will ensure your case is . Use this button to show and access all levels. The earlier you contact a lawyer the better. :If your tenanthas notapplied, startan application by asking for yourtenant to sign the required consentform that is available through theregional agency. The North Shore Housing Action Group (NSHAG) is financial assistance program that specifically focuses on the needs of 18-24 year olds that are experiencing housing Landlord/Property Owner Portal Reference Guide, MA Emergency Housing Payment Assistance Portal (mass.gov), Housing Assistance Application Reference Guide (mass.gov), RAFT Public Resource and Training Portal | Mass.gov. The RAFT COVID program is very new and RAFT administrators are flooded with applications as households struggle with job and income losses. Note that the Tenant Application Code is different from their Case ID. 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. Homeowners may access mortgage and other assistance through the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. RAFT provides qualifying households with up to $10,000 per year to preserve current housing or move to new housing. 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. It is highly recommended that you take that step only with the guidance of legal counsel. Owners, managers, and service providers sustain our nonprofit trade association with membership dues. We will use this information to improve this page. LANDLORD JOURNEYS: Understand what to expect when you or your tenant applies for emergency housing payment assistance. If your tenant is behind on the rent - or . ^ZdS&6mBHp0p12!BB:)0**Xi"3()x*X)jS]II5z 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? This would seem to suggest that RAFT cannot be refused even when it would not fully cover arrears. If your application is missing required information or documentation, staff from your local RAA will reach out to you to complete the application, which will add to the processing time for your application. Households can still apply for rental assistance from the more targeted, state-funded Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program. %PDF-1.6 % Free legal aid is available to assist low-income tenants with referrals, legal information, and legal representation for evictions statewide. Even if that tenant began paying full rent again in September, they would have tallied $11,562 in rent arrearages. Image: CC BY-SA Pixabay. Landlords and property managers will be able to create a profile on the portal with their W-9 and payment information. RAFT funds could go towards paying a security deposit, first/last months rent, even furniture, though there are caps on how much RAFT money can be used for those purchases. Families must meet income guidelines as well: as of April 16, 2022, this was 50% of Area Median Income (AMI), or 60% of AMI for those at risk of domestic violence. oSSx3xg=]z3|3|1Y|L8fu?|O>w~>~~o>j~Vc~_yw|yw/k7w/xwq&-Gd[WW? Use this button to show and access all levels. Email to hc@cmhaonline.org. If a family is determined to be ineligible for benefits, they may reapply after 30 days. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. Section 8 is a housing subsidy, and RAFT is meant to be a short-term cash infusion to help families in a temporary difficult spot. If you need assistance submitting an application or required documents through this portal, please refer to the corresponding document that is linked below. The program Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) has, in less than a year, ramped up to be the preeminent (and movingly named) housing stabilization service of the pandemic. E-mail: info@metrohousingboston.org. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). Landlords will be able to log in and see all applications for their properties at once, as well as check application statuses in real time. hV\YZ^c3p*p #? RAFT / HAF - Home Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. RAFT / ERMA - FAQ Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. Proceed with caution: opting out of RAFT COVID funding could render landlords vulnerable to discrimination litigation. 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 Be sure to provide contact information for your landlord/property owner in your RAFT application. Of the approximately $400 million allocated to Massachusetts in the March 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), 50% had to be spent by March 2022 to avoid clawback. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent. Use this button to show and access all levels. Until Jan. 1, 2023, a Notice to Quit must be accompanied by information about tenants rights and rental assistance options. RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000 per household to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. You can apply for RAFT online through the Commonwealths Central Application. For more information about how to apply, please visit our landlord page. As of April 16, 2022, the state also allowed for partial payments on behalf of the primary tenant to the landlord or utility company, for those entering co-housing situations. As a landlord, get answers to questions about accepting state funded rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Better Communities. 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. 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. Applications processed on or after Aug. 1, 2022, are eligible to receive up to $10,000 in RAFT funds. Please limit your input to 500 characters. 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.

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