Housing verification (Examples: a lease, tenancy agreement, or tenancy at will agreement) Proof of Identity of the property owner. 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. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, How Landlords Can Apply for RAFT, is, Upload Documents or Check Application Information, Call Massachusetts 2-1-1, Informational and referral hotline at, Landlords must obtain and submit asigned tenant consent form beforeapplying for assistance., determineincome eligibility for themetro area of your property. Landlords can apply for RAFT! 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. 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. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. Suppose an inspection finds that a handrail is needed on a staircase. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent. If your tenant is behind on the rent - or expects they will be soon - tell them about this website. We also have RAFT Application walk in hours on Tuesday and Friday 9:30am-11:30am and Wednesday 1:00-3:00pm. 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. After the end of the RAFT benefit period, the tenant does not payrentor otherwise violates the lease. Owners, managers, and service providers sustain our nonprofit trade association with membership dues. You skipped the table of contents section. Even if that tenant began paying full rent again in September, they would have tallied $11,562 in rent arrearages. Landlords of any size may now apply for emergency rental assistance on behalf of their tenants. Homeowners may be eligible for assistance through the Homeowners Assistance Fund. Please limit your input to 500 characters. 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. 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. It will include enhanced features expected to create a more user-friendly experience and increase processing efficiency. Community mediation and free or low-cost legal assistance for eligible parties can help landlords work with tenants to avoid eviction. 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 . 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). LANDLORD JOURNEYS: Understand what to expect when you or your tenant applies for emergency housing payment assistance. 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. Please wait at least 10 business days before calling to check on your application. Please limit your input to 500 characters. 3. If additional income documentation is needed, the organization processing your RAFT application will reach out to you to request it. Better Lives. Also, the MassLandlords Helpline is a valuable resource for business advice and legal information. A lock icon ( A lock icon ( 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. Program administrators will determine if your application qualifies for ERMA or RAFT. 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. The new agreement would still need tocomply with all RAFT requirements. Monday 8 AM 4 PM The state is relying on RAFT to help renters during the pandemic, and the nonprofit is being criticized for long delays and mounting uncertainty. A step-by-step guide on how to apply for RAFT is available here. Phone: 617.859.0400 They may also drop off the applications at our offices between the hours of 9:00 AM 3:00 PM. For households submitting applications on or after 8/1/2022, a Notice to Quit or eviction notice/court summons is required to receive assistance for overdue rent. If both parties are amenable to changing the agreement, the tenant would not have to reapply, butthey would need to executea new agreement. 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. RAFT does not serve homeowners. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. 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. The largest non-profit for owners and managers of Massachusetts residential real estate. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. 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. RAFT: Residential Assistance for Families in Transition Monthly updates, smart and relevant articles, and free premium content. As a result, response times are delayed, rental assistance payments can take months, and it may be a difficult time to obtain information from administrators. Starting Nov. 14, landlords or tenants in these areas were able to file new RAFT applications through the portal. For greater efficiency, these documents should be submitted with the referral. Renters or landlords can apply by submitting an online application. 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. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can also help youfind a housing counseling agency (HCA). oSSx3xg=]z3|3|1Y|L8fu?|O>w~>~~o>j~Vc~_yw|yw/k7w/xwq&-Gd[WW? 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. Applications received by April 15th, 2022 will be considered for ERAP until all funds have been allocated. Visitors to these websites are encouraged to contact agency representatives, listed on the websites, to help with navigation, clarifying information and applying . Mass. Once it launches statewide, the portal will be available in eight languages. RAFT can provide up to $10,000 per household within a 12-month period to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. Blog Is RAFT COVID $10k Optional for Landlords? 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. Household must provide documentation/proof that they are currently experiencing a housing crisis: Utility arrearages (with utility shut off/termination notice). 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. Lynn, MA 01902 Applications with all required information and documentation will be processed more quickly than those with missing information and documentation. RAFT / HAF - For Landlords - Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance Apply for Financial Assistance | RCAP Solutions RAFT became the primary housing safety net during COVID-19. RAFT provides qualifying households with maximum benefit limit of $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. Some page levels are currently hidden. RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) is a state-funded homelessness prevention program. 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. Thank you for your website feedback! If youbelieve your tenant may be eligible for rental assistance, you should: Here is the information and documentation you need to provide: Tenant consent form: All adult household members must signtenant consent form, Landlord information: Address and contact Information, Reason for Application: Include documentation of housing crisis. If a family meets the income guidelines, they must then be screened using an assessment developed by DCHD. Thank you for your website feedback! (May only be requested if connected to one of the housing crises listed above). Renters or landlords can apply by submitting an online application. The administration announced the RAFT COVID program in October as part of its $171 million Eviction Diversion Initiative. The consequences for noncompliance are potentially severe, up to $50,000. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. IMPORTANT: If you have multiple tenants completing applications, please make sure to respond to EACH landlord invitation email. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. RAFT Applications in Other Languages - Berkshire 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). 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. For Landlords. 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. Please limit your input to 500 characters. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as future rent in limited situations. . Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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. 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. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. Landlords should also check general income eligibility for programs. All funding sources are now merged behind one single RAFT application. 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 Tenants can also apply directly. Also, in order to qualify for RAFT COVID funds, tenants household income must be at or below 50% of Area Median Income. The time between submitting a RAFT application and receiving a RAFT award or denial varies. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program. Once submitted, applications cannot be edited, but additional documents can be attached if necessary. Landlord Advocacy - Volunteer Lawyers Project RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000 per household to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. 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, including rental assistance or rental supplements, because the individual is such a recipient. _ The system will automatically match the codes and bring the two parts together. Landlords must obtain and submit a signed tenant consent form before applying for assistance. RAFT can assist families with emergency rental situations, but it lacks the long-term stability of permanent rental subsidies. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. Thursday 8 AM 4 PM If the tenant is the one applying, the application will ask them for their landlords contact information (email or phone number). Your email address will not be published. RAFT Program - 5 Things to Know Sage Jankowitz | Cambridge Real Estate Home - NeighborWorks Housing Solutions Wednesday 8 AM 4 PM Se enfrenta al desalojo? City of Las Vegas 'RAFT' to help tenants behind on rent :If your tenanthas notapplied, startan application by asking for yourtenant to sign the required consentform that is available through theregional agency. If a family is determined to be ineligible for benefits, they may reapply after 30 days. Language Assistance Plan (LAP) | Reasonable Accomodations, function googleTranslateElementInit() { A lock icon ( 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. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Paper applications will still be available at RAAs if tenants need them. contact the Housing and Community Development. This will ensure your case is . RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent. 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. MassachusettsCommunity Mediation Centersare offering free pre-courtmediationbetweenlandlords and tenants for lease disputesin addition to the summary process cases referred through the courts. Interpreter services are available in multiple languages. As a landlord, get answers to questions about accepting state funded rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. For households applying to RAFT for assistance with rent arrears, a Notice to Quit or eviction notice/court summons is now required. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. The largest non-profit for owners and managers of Massachusetts residential real estate. Learn more about RAFT here. This could include families who are facing eviction. Find out whether your tenant has already submitted an application for rental assistance. 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. Some regionals are releasing funds within three weeks of receiving a complete application. Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Applying for Rental Assistance in Massachusetts to Avoid Eviction, contact the Housing and Community Development. . Community-based organizations will also get training in how to use the new portal. Better Communities. Step 2: Your LANDLORD/PROPERTY OWNER, must also submit a landlord application. Some page levels are currently hidden. We also have RAFT Application walk in hours on Tuesday and Friday 9:30am-11:30am and Wednesday 1:00-3:00pm. Find out more about HAF here. Because the eligibility standards for this program are evolving, tenants who may not have previously been eligible for RAFT are encouraged to re-apply. In actuality, renters have racked up back rent owed of well over $20,000. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. You can fill out the information with them. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. For more information on the federal ERAP, SHERA, and ERMA programs, please visit this page. 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. But if they are moving out, any number of circumstances could have kept those funds from being directed towards you. 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. Podemos ayudar. 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. 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. This verbiage implies that families who receive rental vouchers may also receive RAFT funds, at least under certain circumstances. Fair Housing Policies & Procedures | Privacy Policy, Lynn HOME-ARP Allocation Plan Community Forum Information. The RAAs can either assist the tenant with setting up an email address or can act as a tenant advocate to get the application process started. Better Lives. This language leaves open the possibility that it may be interpreted as discriminatory to evict a renter who has received public rental assistance. A lawyer can advise you about the law, refer you to resources, fill out and file court papers, and represent you. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The two pilot regions are Way Finders in the Greater Springfield region and the Housing Assistance Corporation, serving Cape Cod and the islands. The Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC) If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. 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. 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. E-mail: info@metrohousingboston.org. 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). 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. 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.). RAFT provides short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This could include loss of income or increased expenses for those families in the higher income group (3080% AMI depending on funding source). RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as forward rent in limited situations. 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. However, there is a $10,000 cap in funding, and any money that a family has received from RAFT counts towards that. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent. Once someone receives initial approval, they can complete an application. Is RAFT COVID $10k Optional for Landlords? - MassLandlords.net RAFT helps families who are behind on rent, mortgage payments, or utility bills. Landlord struggling because your tenant cant pay the rent? Are your tenants behind on rent? You do not need to immediately leave your apartment. RAFT can provide up to $10,000 per household within a 12-month period to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. 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. 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. Eventually, that number increased, and families were able to access up to $4,000 in funds, with the possibility of reapplying after 12 months if they needed additional assistance. Those administering the screening have some discretion in determining eligibility based on the tool. Log in or get access for as little as $3. If the landlord accepts, they forfeit the right to evict for six months or until June 2021. RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000 per household to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. Friday 8 AM 12:30 PM. In these cases, a landlord accepting the terms of the increased RAFT COVID limit would be extending a tenancy deep in arrears while forfeiting the ability to recoup any losses for at least six more months. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as future rent in limited situations. Families living in emergency shelters are not eligible for RAFT funds, and in theory, RAFT is the superior program, as the goal of the Commonwealth is to keep families out of shelters in the first place. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program, is. Since RAFT monies can be used for more purposes than just late rentwhat may have happened in situations where the tenant got RAFT support but the landlord never saw any money was that the tenant directed the payment to an additional vendor as well as to a new landlord.. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. 2. :If your tenant has already submitted an application for rental assistance, please do not reapply. Upon application submission, you will be asked to provide: Proof of ownership of the unit. . The federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) stopped accepting applications on April 15, 2022. hoGI(RB@PEBi`71UsgB&v/$R5&i-md-kTlt+7j?h-??ex^6t{@E^g8 pwW_m\_|)1cdC1O #`QNdV1EQ(z62 g2m(A32 323CGQj Tb*3Pkddzic#0"Z#5D9H]8O$S1{=%z$D)Q]B &U&$|%)!8ABQJug|,PX%p|,x 100 Cambridge St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114. 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.. RAFT provides qualifying households with up to $10,000 per year to preserve current housing or move to new housing. Others need 12 weeks or longer. 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.