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Get Help With Housing

Get Help With Housing

in Massachusetts 

If you need protection from eviction:

  • Apply for rental assistance here. See "If you need help paying for rent" below for more details on the process. You cannot be evicted while you wait for a decision on your rental assistance application.

If you need help paying your rent or mortgage:

  • Residents of the City of Boston who owe rent arrears of at least 30 days can request rental assistance from the City's Tenant Stabilization Fund, by calling the Office of Housing Stabilization at 617-635-4200. Unlike RAFT, there is no requirement of a Notice to Quit from the landlord or an eviction court case.

  • If you are experiencing difficulty with a RAFT application , call 2-1-1 any day, any time.

  • Currently, you cannot access RAFT for past-due rent unless your landlord has served you with a 'Notice to Quit' or has begun eviction proceedings in court. 

  • Section 8 Housing Vouchers:

  • Public Housing:

If you need to enter a family homeless shelter:

  • Apply for shelter by calling (866) 584-0653 - call every day starting at 8am until you get a response.

  • Eligibility: families w/ child(ren) under 21 OR pregnant, income no higher than 115% of the Federal Poverty Level.

  • Unfortunately, you may be placed on a waiting list. If this happens, you can ask to be placed in a "temporary overflow shelter." However, you may be limited to just 5 nights in an overflow shelter, and prevented from accessing a family homeless shelter for six months.

  • When you apply for shelter, ask about HomeBASE (an alternative to shelter, see next section).

If you are in a family shelter and want your own apartment:

  • HomeBASE is an alternative to shelter that provides up to $10,000 in rental assistance. This can be used to avoid entering shelter, or to leave a shelter.

  • Apply for HomeBASE through your shelter.

If you need help paying utility bills:

  • You can also get help paying your utilities arrears through the RAFT rental payment assistance program (whether or not you are looking for help paying rent) - click here to apply for RAFT.

Other resources:

Contact Us

One Family, Inc.

50 Milk Street
16th Floor
Boston, MA 02109

617-237-0778

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