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Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that his Administration is
dedicating $3 million in city funds to assist Bostonians who are at risk of losing their rental
housing due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will help
income-eligible tenants in the City of Boston achieve housing stability by
providing direct financial relief to assist with rental payments.
Applications to the Rental Relief Fund will be available on Monday, April
6th.
“In the midst of
the COVID-19 pandemic, a national crisis at a scale not seen in our lifetime,
it is imperative that all levels of government exercise all possible tools to
ensure the health and safety of our residents, and to keep them stably
housed,” said Mayor Walsh. “As a key piece of legislation makes its
way through the State House, it is our hope that this funding will offer
immediate financial relief to renters in Boston who otherwise would be unable
to make their rent payment. We understand that this resource is critical to
have in place not only for economic reasons, but also to protect the public
health.”
With the statewide
stay-at-home advisory extended through May 4th, the City of Boston recognizes
the financial strain put on renters who have reduced or no employment income.
According to estimates generated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council
(MAPC) on behalf of the City of Boston, there were 10,900 renter households
in the “first wave” of unemployment applications filed by
Bostonians in the week ending March 21st. With today’s announcement that
national unemployment filings doubled from 3.3 million to 6.6 million, the
number of households in Boston experiencing difficulty in paying their rent
is expected to rise.
“This program
announced by the City today will go a long way to help residents who are
struggling and at risk of losing their homes because of the current health
crisis,” said Chris Norris, Executive Director for Metro Housing Boston.
“Our friends and neighbors who already faced challenges with obtaining
and maintaining housing now have even more barriers. These funds will make a
difference for families with the greatest need – those with very low incomes
and extremely low incomes. Metro Housing|Boston is pleased to partner
with Mayor Walsh and his team as they launch this lifeline to the residents
of Boston because everyone deserves a place to call home.”
The newly established
fund, which is being managed by the Office of Housing Stability at the
Department of Neighborhood Development with two nonprofit partners, Metro
Housing|Boston and Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), will provide
income-eligible Bostonians with up to $4,000 in financial assistance to be
used for rent. To qualify for this financial assistance, residents must
either not be eligible for the new extended unemployment benefits offered by
the federal government, or because of the nature of their job, the
unemployment benefits that they will receive represent a significant
reduction in their actual income. The funding will only be available to
households earning less than 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), which is
$72,000 for a two-person household. A significant portion of these
funds are reserved for households with extremely low incomes (under $25,000
for a single-person household), and very low-incomes or less than $42,000 for
a single person (50 percent AMI).
“The need for
rent relief as soon as possible for Bostonians, especially low-income
families and women heads of household, is enormous,” said Philip Giffee,
Executive Director of Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc./NOAH.
“Far too many individuals and families have lost jobs – either
temporarily or permanently – and are no longer able to make ends meet. These
families are in immediate need of some form of assistance to keep them in
their apartments. NOAH applauds the Mayor and the City for stepping up and
providing some relief to help these desperate families.”
The ultimate amount
of assistance renters can receive will be determined after taking into
account other sources of income, including the expected expansion of
unemployment benefits under new federal rules established by the CARES Act,
and one-time payments being issued to income-eligible residents from the
federal government. The City will monitor usage of the funds closely and
anticipates devoting additional resources to this effort from federal CARES
Act or other City revenue sources in the coming weeks.
“In this
unprecedented public health crisis, we’re thrilled to see the City lead in
helping to alleviate the economic crisis that many Boston families are
facing,” said Mac McCreight, Lead Attorney, Greater Boston Legal
Services Housing Unit. “We look forward to collaborating with housing
providers and other helping agencies in getting assistance quickly to those
who need it.”
Over the last several
week, the City of Boston has taken swift action to protect our most
vulnerable residents from losing their homes, including:
The Boston Housing Authority
stopped pursuing all non-essential evictions;
The Boston Housing Authority and
the Boston Public Schools (BPS) are creating a new partnership to house up to 1,000
families with BPS students at risk of displacement and experiencing
homelessness over the next year;
Formed a partnership with the
Greater Boston Real Estate Board and the Massachusetts Association of
Community Development Corporations to urge a citywide moratorium on eviction
proceedings;
Asked the Boston Housing Court to
stay all non-emergency eviction proceedings, which the Supreme Judicial
Court has instituted throughout the statewide housing court system until
April 21;
Supporting legislation that
provides residential and commercial tenants and homeowners with
protections against evictions and foreclosures during and for a period
of time after the State of Emergency is lifted.
In 2016, Mayor Walsh
created the City of Boston’s Office of Housing Stability, the first of its kind in the nation,
that is designed to keep communities intact by helping tenants maintain their
housing. The Office’s work includes supporting tenants who are in crisis;
creating and offering resources, programs, and information for both tenants
and landlords to learn about their rights and responsibilities; and
researching and creating policies that aim to prevent displacement. The
Office also oversees the Metrolist web site, a clearinghouse
for income-restricted housing opportunities in Boston and neighboring
communities.
Resources and
information about COVID-19 are available on boston.gov/coronavirus. Resources available on boston.gov and through City departments include support
for renters and homeowners; small businesses; free meals for Boston students;
free toiletries for Boston students; emergency childcare centers; support for
older residents; information on homeless shelters; transportation options for
healthcare workers; resources for those in recovery or those who have a
substance use disorder; and mental health resources.
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