Get Help With Housing
Get Help With Housing
If you need protection from eviction:
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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.
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If your landlord is trying to evict you, stay in your apartment, click here for free legal help, and click here for a guide on additional steps to take. Do not move out: only a court can evict you. A "notice to quit" from your landlord does not require you to leave, it just starts a court case.
If you need help paying your rent or mortgage:
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If you are experiencing difficulty with the application for RAFT, call 2-1-1 any day, any time.
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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.
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To apply for a Section 8 housing voucher, submit two online applications:
Submit an application to the regional housing agencies in Massachusetts AND submit an application to the local housing authorities in Massachusetts -
In addition, submit a third application if you live in one of these communities:
Boston application
Cambridge application
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To apply for federally-funded public housing, contact your community's local housing authority.
If you need to enter a family homeless shelter:
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Apply for shelter by calling (866) 584-0653 - call every day starting at 8am until you get a response.
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Eligibility: families w/ child(ren) under 21 OR pregnant, income no higher than 115% of the Federal Poverty Level.
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Unfortunately, you may be placed on a waiting list. If this happens, ask to be placed in a "temporary overflow shelter."
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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:
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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.
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Apply for HomeBASE through your shelter.
If you need help paying utility bills:
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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.
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If your income is too high for either of these benefits, visit the Good Neighbor Energy Fund.
Other resources:
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Contact your region's housing assistance agency here, and scroll down to the map of Masssachusetts.
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Free legal help if your landlord is trying to evict you, and other legal assistance.
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Tenants rights resources for public housing and for landlord-owned buildings.
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Other non-housing resources can be found on One Family's website or via Mass 211 (call 2-1-1).
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If you suspect that you are a victim of housing discrimination on the basis of your racial identity, ethnic background, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigrant status, religion, disability, or due to having a housing voucher, click here for assistance.