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. 3. Since each HCEC has its own website, we have tried to list the RAFT application links here: If any link doesn't work, visit the Housing Consumer Education Centers site, find the regional HCEC page, and then tell us which link to change. . Please limit your input to 500 characters. Required fields are marked *. Effective August 1, 2022 the maximum benefit limit on the RAFT Program is $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. How Landlords Can Apply for RAFT | Mass.gov Podemos ayudar. 1. 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. The RAFT COVID program appears to be presented as an option for landlords to accept or decline. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Language Assistance Plan (LAP) | Reasonable Accomodations, function googleTranslateElementInit() { It is important that you complete your application to the best of your ability before submitting in order to receive an award or denial quickly. A lawyer can advise you about the law, refer you to resources, fill out and file court papers, and represent you. 100 Cambridge St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. More information is available here, or you can go to https://hedfuel.azurewebsites.net/ to find a legal aid program near you. Homeowners in need of mortgage assistance or other housing assistance may apply for the new Homeowner Assistance Fund (MA HAF) Program. In addition to the documents listed above, an application for RAFT also requires documentation from your landlord/property owner. Learn more about RAFT here. The largest non-profit for owners and managers of Massachusetts residential real estate. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. To learn more about eligibility, resources, and applying, homeowners can visit www.massmortgagehelp.org. Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Emergency Rental Assistance: Landlord Journeys. The same might apply to a landlord who initiated or continued eviction while a RAFT application is pending. I have one tenant who applied [to RAFT] and didnt receive a call back at all, she said. Tuesday 8 AM 7 PM This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. G.L. For more information, visit the states RAFT guidance page. Signed W-9 in the name of the property owner. They can use it for first and last months rent, a security deposit or even furniture (furniture expenses are capped at $1,000). Paper applications will still be available at RAAs if tenants need them. %PDF-1.6 % Thank you! Then, during the case, RAFT responds, offering an amount of rental assistance funds, eventually, that will cure nonpayment. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. fhousing@lhand.org The CM will sometimes follow up directly with the family with clarifying questions. To apply to Mass HAF, visit www.massmortgagehelp.org. Once submitted, applications cannot be edited, but additional documents can be attached if necessary. Examples include, but are not limited to, Notice to Quit, courtsummons, utility shutoff notice., Name, DOB, sex, race, ethnicity and SSN (when available) forall adultmembers of the household, Identification for the head of household (Examples: photo id, license, birth certificate,passport), Rental information: Lease/tenancy agreement, amount of rent,amount of arrears, whether they have a rental subsidy, Household income (see more details here on income verification), W-9 from payee (landlord/property owner). Our staff will call back to assist you in the order your message was received. A Landlord's Guide to Massachusetts' Residential Assistance for The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Blog Is RAFT COVID $10k Optional for Landlords? Please limit your input to 500 characters. Apply for Financial Assistance | RCAP Solutions Alandlord's refusal to accept emergency rental assistance,thatcoversthe entire amount owed to the landlord,may,in some circumstances,constitute a violation of Chapter 151B. 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. 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. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Applications with all required information and documentation will be processed more quickly than those with missing information and documentation. States that did not use all of the federal money they were allocated were at risk of having that money "clawed back" by the U.S. Treasury. If the landlord decides to go ahead with eviction, are they on shaky legal ground? Section 8 is a housing subsidy, and RAFT is meant to be a short-term cash infusion to help families in a temporary difficult spot. They may also drop off the applications at our offices between the hours of 9:00 AM 3:00 PM. RAFT - Metro Housing Boston 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. General Law 151B, the states discrimination law, bars discriminating against anyone receiving public assistance, including rental assistance. The short answer is: No. Your support is critical to help alleviate and prevent the impact of homelessness in Boston. On December 12, 2022, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) launched a new online application portal for tenants and landlords to submit RAFT applications and required documents. It will take between four and seven weeks to process all applications. Log in or join today and gain access all presentations and videos. When calling, please leave your name, call back number and application number. Landlords should also check general income eligibility for programs. Not submitted means an application has been started, but not completed and turned in. 24th Annual Mulligan Tournament Friday, June 9th, 2023 8:00AM Purchase Tickets and Sponsorships RAFT For Tenants, Landlords & Utilities Important Rental Assistance Update New RAFT Applicant? Updated April 14th, 2023 ?kB9z The extra RAFT funds from the federal government were meant to be used within a specific amount of time. For Landlords. Be sure to provide contact information for your landlord/property owner in your RAFT application. RAFT can provide up to $10,000 per household within a 12-month period to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). To view all of this presentation, you must be logged with webinar access. IMPORTANT: If you have multiple tenants completing applications, please make sure to respond to EACH landlord invitation email. If a family meets the income guidelines, they must then be screened using an assessment developed by DCHD. This was much higher than previously and since. RAFT and ERMA are Massachusetts programs that provide financial assistance to eligible households facing a housing crisis, and can be used for things like paying rent in the future, paying rent owed (overdue rent or "arrears"), or for some other housing-related costs. Rent Relief, Utility Arrears, and Eviction Prevention Consent is implied when the tenant fills out their portion of the application. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. A households income must be at or below 50 percent. Until Jan. 1, 2023, Landlords are required to send a notice to quit for non-payment of rent. You skipped the table of contents section. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. They will also be able to register multiple properties under one profile, as long as all of the properties have the same tax identification number. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Is RAFT COVID $10k Optional for Landlords? Once you submit your application through the online portal, a Regional Administering Agency (RAA) or the Rental Assistance Processing Center (RAP Center) will process your application. 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. (781) 581-8600, Hours 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. All Rights Reserved. In those cases, landlords may seek to evict before the RAFT process has begun. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. A Notice to Quit is NOT an eviction. The federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) stopped accepting applications on April 15, 2022. 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. If all the required documents are uploaded, the CM will not need to contact the applicant and will instead contact the referring agency. Your email address will not be published. Landlords can apply directly for rental assistance on behalf of eligible residents. hV\YZ^c3p*p #? Work with your renters to provide your part of the information as soon as requested. Friday 8 AM 12:30 PM. One of the biggest features is the addition of a save and resume function. 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. Community mediation and free or low-cost legal assistance for eligible parties can help landlords work with tenants to avoid eviction. Please visit. PDF City of Las Vegas RAFT Landlord Application How To A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. Note that you as the landlord must provide information for the RAFT application. Our assessment is that claims are less likely where RAFT would not fully cover arrears and future shortfall, but more likely where RAFT would. Landlord Advocacy - Volunteer Lawyers Project The feedback will only be used for improving the website. Thursday 8 AM 4 PM A list of regional agencies can be found at the Massachusetts Housing Consumer Education Centers site. RAFT / HAF - Home Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance contact the Housing and Community Development. A Landlords Guide to Massachusetts Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program, Search Eviction Records by Address (Beta), Webinar: Rental Assistance Application Process RAFT ERMA. RAFT - Lynn Housing Authority Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state, Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program. We also have RAFT Application walk in hours on Tuesday and Friday 9:30am-11:30am and Wednesday 1:00-3:00pm. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. 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 . 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. . RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent, as well as forward rent in limited situations. You can also use the eligibility checker toolhere to see if you might be eligible for RAFT. 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. Landlords can apply directly for rental assistance on behalf of eligible residents. Please limit your input to 500 characters. 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. Either a landlord or a tenant may begin the RAFT application process by going to the existing landing page. RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) is a state-funded homelessness prevention program. Office of Housing Stability - City of Revere, Massachusetts . Imagine, for example, a Boston tenant who stopped paying rent in March. To document COVID-related income loss, applicants may provide a letter from their employer showing lost or reduced hours, or documentation of loss of childcare (requiring the applicant to have to stop working). Jog I5N7=Ziph2IaL)"Q LA01A The two programs also serve different purposes. Open to all. The long answer is a bit more complicated. 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. You can fill out the information with them. City of Las Vegas 'RAFT' to help tenants behind on rent 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. The following documentation is required to apply: Landlords and tenants can see their application status change as it moves through the system. The landlord contacted VLP to seek legal advice. In this article, well look at what RAFT is, who it is designed to benefit, how it affects landlords and the areas where it could be doing more for families in need. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. The RAFT COVID program is an enhancement to the regular 15-year-old RAFT program, which provides up to $4,000 for eligible households to pay for rent, mortgage, utilities or moving expenses. If you would like to speak with a foreclosure counselor regarding your options, a list of foreclosure counselors by region is available here. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Section 8 requires an inspection, to certify a rental units health and safety suitability. RAFT Emergency Assistance - HRA - fcrhra No, the agreement signed by the tenant and landlordremainsin effectfor its stated term,unless the parties agree to amend it. Applying online is the most direct and efficient way to apply for financial assistance. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. The RAFT application system requires both a tenant application and a landlord application for tenants who are requesting rental assistance. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program Initially, families accessing RAFT funds received between $1,500 and $3,000 as a one-time payment, according to literature published by Metro Housing Boston. Visitors to these websites are encouraged to contact agency representatives, listed on the websites, to help with navigation, clarifying information and applying . new google.translate.TranslateElement({pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages : 'sq,am,ar,zh-CN,zh-TW,fr,de,es,ht,it,km,fa,pt,ru,so,sw,vi', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.SIMPLE}, 'google_translate_element'); 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. People applying for RAFT must do so in the region where they intend to use their RAFT benefits. E-mail: info@metrohousingboston.org. Use this button to show and access all levels. 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 rental assistance agreementincludes the following line: If the Participant's tenancy is terminated prior to the period for which any monthly rental stipend payments were made, I agree to return the unused balance of said funds to the Agency.. 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. Even if that tenant began paying full rent again in September, they would have tallied $11,562 in rent arrearages. If a family is determined to be ineligible for benefits, they may reapply after 30 days. For greater efficiency, these documents should be submitted with the referral. The tenant does not receive funding directly. Some page levels are currently hidden. Applications processed on or after Aug. 1, 2022, are eligible to receive up to $10,000 in RAFT funds. The consequences for noncompliance are potentially severe, up to $50,000. Home - NeighborWorks Housing Solutions If you are a landlord and you believe your tenant may be eligible for rental assistance, you should: Learn about the RAFT program and other available resources. Better Policy. 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.
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