Posted in News - 0 Comments. Proceed with caution if you are a landlord considering declining RAFT COVID funding, especially in cases in which the funds would fully cover rent arrears, could cure nonpayment, and/or stabilize the tenancy. Office of Housing Stability - City of Revere, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Applying for Rental Assistance in Massachusetts to Avoid Eviction, contact the Housing and Community Development. 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. Free legal aid is available to assist low-income tenants with referrals, legal information, and legal representation for evictions statewide. If all the required documents are uploaded, the CM will not need to contact the applicant and will instead contact the referring agency. LAS VEGAS (KSNV) The City of Las Vegas is taking applications once again for its newly re-funded Rental Assistance for Tenants (RAFT) program. No eviction action was filed. LANDLORD JOURNEYS: Understand what to expect when you or your tenant applies for emergency housing payment assistance. Not submitted means an application has been started, but not completed and turned in. A step-by-step guide on how to apply for RAFT is available here. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as future rent in limited situations. 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. Tenants can also apply directly. RAFT provides qualifying households with maximum benefit limit of $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. Boston, MA 02120-3401 contact the Housing and Community Development. Or acceptance of reduced rent for the period of the agreement? Households composed of any of the following:Individuals, families with older children, couples without children, unaccompanied youth, and households of any size. A list of regional agencies can be found at the Massachusetts Housing Consumer Education Centers site. Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Emergency Rental Assistance: Landlord Journeys. You must have your application number in order to submit documents or to determine which agency is processing your application. 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. Signed W-9 in the name of the property owner. 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. There are two additional tools for landlords and tenants to prevent an eviction. In actuality, renters have racked up back rent owed of well over $20,000. 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. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent, as well as future rent in limited situations. RAFT - Lynn Housing Authority For instance, prospective rent payments are capped at one month's payment, as long as the household communicates this need on the application or to the person processing the application. Friday 8 AM 12:30 PM. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. 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. 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. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and response, the state of Massachusetts initially made an additional $5 million available for RAFT. 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. A landlord is required to notify a tenant if they've applied for eviction, This first notice is called a notice to quit and it should state why the landlord is evicting you. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. You can apply for RAFT online through the Commonwealths Central Application. 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. 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). Are your tenants behind on rent? The consequences for noncompliance are potentially severe, up to $50,000. 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. Landlords can apply for RAFT! The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. . Jog I5N7=Ziph2IaL)"Q LA01A 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. fhousing@lhand.org Fax . Some page levels are currently hidden. Note that it will likely take 5 business days to hear back due to high volume. E-mail: info@metrohousingboston.org. Prior to COVID-19, families could obtain no more than $4,000 from RAFT within a 12-month period. The requirement of only one set of signatures; Reduced documentation requirements for household identification new income verification processes will allow for automatic data matching with DTA, MassHealth, or DOR (UIOnline and WageMatch). Renters or landlords can apply by submitting an online application. Upon application submission, you will be asked to provide: Proof of ownership of the unit. A lock icon ( Massachusetts' Rental Assistance for Families in Transition program, or RAFT, offers funds for eligible households facing eviction, loss of utilities or other housing . It will include enhanced features expected to create a more user-friendly experience and increase processing efficiency. If your tenant created an application already, you should receive a landlord invitation email. Toll-Free: 800.272.0990 Prior to COVID-19, RAFT monies were only awarded if the applicant could demonstrate a way to remain in housing after the RAFT funds has been expended. ,h^$dXcbM/0&4EcTg$H]^A/H][LE1y Suppose an inspection finds that a handrail is needed on a staircase. IMPORTANT: If you have multiple tenants completing applications, please make sure to respond to EACH landlord invitation email. RAFT provides qualifying households with maximum benefit limit of $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. RAFT does not serve homeowners. Please limit your input to 500 characters. For households applying to RAFT for assistance with rent arrears, a Notice to Quit or eviction notice/court summons is now required. You can also use the eligibility checker toolhere to see if you might be eligible for RAFT. Wednesday 8 AM 4 PM This language leaves open the possibility that it may be interpreted as discriminatory to evict a renter who has received public rental assistance. It is important to submit a complete application for RAFT to receive support quickly. 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. You can find more information below. 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. _ 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. 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. 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. 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. Landlord Advocacy - Volunteer Lawyers Project Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program But considering the language in discrimination law 151B, theres too much risk and vulnerability for discrimination liability to take that step hastily. Join us! Once submitted, applications cannot be edited, but additional documents can be attached if necessary. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program. They can also use the money for utility bills, or to get current on owed rent/utilities. C( QA%TD2*HTpA2EVHST0 QHH-W$2PgAEVA Better Policy. In August 2022, the limit was changed again. Landlord struggling because your tenant cant pay the rent? You are entitled to a legal proceeding in which you can defend against an eviction. A lock icon ( endstream endobj 2599 0 obj <>stream The program started Nov. 14 in two regions, with statewide rollout expected sometime in mid-December. During(or after)the RAFT benefit period, the tenant does notmeet themonthly rent payment obligationthat is stated in the agreement. How to Apply for RAFT | Mass.gov Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. How Landlords Can Apply for RAFT | Mass.gov Frequently Asked Questions for Landlords about Accepting State Funded Thank you for your website feedback! However, Fisher went on, there doesn't appear to be any language to the effect that an existing landlord with an arrearage would have any priority over a successor landlord if the tenant chose to move into a new property. For more information on the federal ERAP, SHERA, and ERMA programs, please visit this page. To check which agency is processing your application, visit theCentral Application Portaland click Application Information. You can also use the Central Application Portal to upload additional documents after your application is submitted. 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. If a tenant does not have an email address or access to a computer, they can still go to their regional administering agency (RAA). 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. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. As discussed earlier, families who receive RAFT funding can use that money for a variety of purposes to avoid becoming homeless or to find housing if they are currently homeless. 1411 Tremont Street An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Frequently Asked Questions for Landlords about Accepting State Funded Rental Assistance, is, Frequently Asked Questions for Landlords about Accepting State Funded Rental Assistance. 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. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. 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. For households applying to RAFT for assistance with rent arrears, a notice to quit or eviction notice/court summons is now required. (May only be requested if connected to one of the housing crises listed above). This was much higher than previously and since. For more information, visit the states RAFT guidance page. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. The state officially adopted the program in 2006, and since then, RAFT funding has continually gone up, with funding for the 2019 fiscal year hitting $20 million. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. RAFT - Community Teamwork Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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. RAFT helps families who are behind on rent, mortgage payments, or utility bills. 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. The administration announced the RAFT COVID program in October as part of its $171 million Eviction Diversion Initiative. The extra RAFT funds from the federal government were meant to be used within a specific amount of time. 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. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. The new agreement would still need tocomply with all RAFT requirements. Applications received by April 15th, 2022 will be considered for ERAP until all funds have been allocated. Its possible that this legally linguistic contradiction may not be addressed until litigation is brought forth. 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. RAFT / ERMA - FAQ Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) Funds Still Available (MassLandlords data, compiled through a rent survey as part of the Individual Claims Council initiative, shows that average arrears are $4,169 among 59 respondents, representing 765 rental units. A landlord who accepts RAFTfundingdoes not losethe ability to file for eviction due tolease violations that may occur in the future. :If your tenant has already submitted an application for rental assistance, please do not reapply. Required fields are marked *. Phone: 617.859.0400 This gives applicants 21 days to complete and submit their application once it has been started. If you would like to speak with a foreclosure counselor regarding your options, a list of foreclosure counselors by region is available here. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). This would seem to suggest that RAFT cannot be refused even when it would not fully cover arrears. You can find information of HAFhereorcall 2-1-1 for more information. Landlords must obtain and submit a signed tenant consent form before applying for assistance. RAFT: Residential Assistance for Families in Transition The best way to apply is online. Consider Section 8. RAFT gives short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. If none of these are available, the applicant can self-certify. 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. As a landlord, get answers to questions about accepting state funded rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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