Since RAFT monies can be used for more purposes than just late rentwhat may have happened in situations where the tenant got RAFT support but the landlord never saw any money was that the tenant directed the payment to an additional vendor as well as to a new landlord.. The program can also be used to help families who are already homeless pay for necessary costs to get into a house or apartment. 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. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program The process for referrals from partner agencies has several steps: For greatest efficiency and to ensure the swiftest process, please provide all required documents and explanation of the housing crisis. 10 Church Street The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Landlords should be aware that Chapter 151B of the Massachusetts General Laws prohibits discrimination bya landlord against anytenant receiving federal, state, or local housing subsidies, including rentalassistance or rental supplements, because the individual is such a recipient. RAFT / HAF - For Landlords - Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance Chinese and Khmer applications are not fillable at this time and need to be scanned. If you need assistance, please contact the Housing and Community Development. Where can I get help paying my rent? | MassLegalHelp If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Consider Section 8. Refusing RAFT = Discrimination? Yes, Says Attorney General General Law 151B, the states discrimination law, bars discriminating against anyone receiving public assistance, including rental assistance. Forgiveness of arrearages or acceptance of reduced rent are not program requirements. endstream endobj 2600 0 obj <>stream RAFT provides short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. If the link above does not work (please notify us using the "Need a Hand" widget below and right), then go to the regional directly. 6 Institute RoadWorcester, MA 01609 > Google Mapsphone: (508) 752-5519fax: (508) 752-5009, Staff Web MailSecure Delivery LoginSystem StatusHope for Housing Login, WALK photography by Joe Santa Maria - Kill the Ball Media. Use this button to show and access all levels. Section 8 requires an inspection, to certify a rental units health and safety suitability. Current Laws A Landlords Guide to Massachusetts Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program. Step 3: Program staff will review your funds application and will contact you asking for further documentation, if needed. Please wait at least 10 business days before calling to check on your application. We will use this information to improve this page. RAFT provides qualifying households with maximum benefit limit of $10,000 per household in a 12-month period. Since such a family is beyond stabilization with RAFT alone, such a family would likely not be eligible for any RAFT assistance at all. Renters or landlords can apply by submitting an online application. Landlords should consult their own legal counsel for advicebefore declining rental assistance that covers all outstanding rent arrears. The RAFT COVID programs stated optionality may leave landlords who opt out exposed to litigation. They can also use the money for utility bills, or to get current on owed rent/utilities. Landlords and property managers will be able to create a profile on the portal with their W-9 and payment information. RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000, within a 12-month period, to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. hoGI(RB@PEBi`71UsgB&v/$R5&i-md-kTlt+7j?h-??ex^6t{@E^g8 pwW_m\_|)1cdC1O #`QNdV1EQ(z62 g2m(A32 323CGQj Tb*3Pkddzic#0"Z#5D9H]8O$S1{=%z$D)Q]B &U&$|%)!8ABQJug|,PX%p|,x RAFT became the primary housing safety net during COVID-19. To learn more about eligibility, resources, and applying, homeowners can visit www.massmortgagehelp.org. To view all of this presentation, you must be logged with webinar access. Not submitted means an application has been started, but not completed and turned in. For more guidance on how to apply and create a landlord profile, please utilize this reference guide: Housing Assistance Application Reference Guide (mass.gov), For a list of landlords/property owners Frequently Asked Questions, visit: Landlord FAQs download (mass.gov), For other resources, including recordings of webinars about Landlord/Property Owner RAFT Application Portal, visit: RAFT Public Resource and Training Portal | Mass.gov. The RAFT application system requires both a tenant application and a landlord application for tenants who are requesting rental assistance. RAFT does not serve homeowners. Landlords should be aware that Chapter 151B of the Massachusetts General Laws prohibits discrimination by a landlord against any tenant receiving federal, state, or local housing subsidies, including rental assistance or rental supplements, because the individual is such a recipient. If you are unable to assist your client in completing the online application, printable applications can be found below. Subsidies resulting from RAFT applications during the COVID-19 pandemic were capped at 15 months total benefit. The tenant should contact the landlord and rental assistance agency. RAFT / ERMA - FAQ Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance RAFT can provide up to $10,000 per household within a 12-month period to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. Upon application submission, you will be asked to provide: Signed W-9 in the name of the property owner, Housing verification (Examples: a lease, tenancy agreement, or tenancy at will agreement). RAFT/ERMA Landlord Application Instructions - Massachusetts Rent Relief, Utility Arrears, and Eviction Prevention You skipped the table of contents section. Prior to COVID-19, families could obtain no more than $4,000 from RAFT within a 12-month period. RAFT can provide up to $10,000 per household within a 12-month period to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. It will include enhanced features expected to create a more user-friendly experience and increase processing efficiency. The RAFT COVID program is very new and RAFT administrators are flooded with applications as households struggle with job and income losses. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). Under the current system, landlords applying on behalf of their tenants must include a signed tenant consent form, but the dual nature of the new portal application removes the need for this. For more information on the federal ERAP, SHERA, and ERMA programs, please visit this page. Tuesday 8 AM 7 PM Applications already in progress continued to be processed through the system already in place. A lawyer can help advise you before a case gets to court or if a case is in court. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Each assistance application will have two parts, one for landlords and one for tenants. In these cases, a landlord accepting the terms of the increased RAFT COVID limit would be extending a tenancy deep in arrears while forfeiting the ability to recoup any losses for at least six more months. 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. Wednesday 8 AM 4 PM No, the agreement signed by the tenant and landlordremainsin effectfor its stated term,unless the parties agree to amend it. RAFT helps families who are behind on rent, mortgage payments, or utility bills. A RAFT application was the primary way to access the safety net for the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts. 1411 Tremont Street The RAFT program is open to all types of landlords, including private landlords, non-profit landlords, and government landlords. These deadlines were shared with MassLandlords and others by a state official over the March 25, 2021, stakeholder zoom. It will take between four and seven weeks to process all applications. If you need assistance submitting an application or required documents through this portal, please refer to the corresponding document that is linked below. Also, the MassLandlords Helpline is a valuable resource for business advice and legal information. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. This verbiage implies that families who receive rental vouchers may also receive RAFT funds, at least under certain circumstances. 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. Also, in order to qualify for RAFT COVID funds, tenants household income must be at or below 50% of Area Median Income. The administering agency could require a handrail to be installed, even though this would cause the landlord to lose money on the Section 8 rental compared to a market rental, which would not necessarily trigger enforcement of that part of the code (ignoring, for the sake of argument, that the handrail should be provided regardless of an inspection). Until Jan. 1, 2023, a Notice to Quit must be accompanied by information about tenants rights and rental assistance options. If your application is missing required information or documentation, staff from your local RAA will reach out to you to complete the application, which will add to the processing time for your application. If a family meets the income guidelines, they must then be screened using an assessment developed by DCHD. 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 program started Nov. 14 in two regions, with statewide rollout expected sometime in mid-December. Program administrators will determine if your application qualifies for ERMA or RAFT. A list of regional agencies can be found at the Massachusetts Housing Consumer Education Centers site. 2598 0 obj <>stream RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent costs, as well as forward rent in limited situations. Detail - Las Vegas RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent. Step 2: Your LANDLORD/PROPERTY OWNER, must also submit a landlord application. 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. You must have your application number in order to submit documents or to determine which agency is processing your application. Toll-Free: 800.272.0990 Household must provide documentation/proof that they are currently experiencing a housing crisis: Utility arrearages (with utility shut off/termination notice). Residential Assistance for Families in Transition could pay for moving costs, paying owed rent or utilities, security deposits or first/last months rent, among other uses. 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. The RAFT COVID program appears to be presented as an option for landlords to accept or decline. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. After the end of the RAFT benefit period, the tenant does not payrentor otherwise violates the lease. DHCD's federally funded Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and Subsidized Housing Emergency Rental Assistance (SHERA) stopped taking new applications on April 15, 2022. The RAFT COVID program is presented as an option to landlords, who may, according to its language, decide whether or not to accept the funding in excess of $4,000. In 2020, this limit was increased to $10,000, but was decreased to $7,000 within a rolling 12-month period on Jan. 1, 2022. If the tenant is the one applying, the application will ask them for their landlords contact information (email or phone number). Fax . ?kB9z Renter advocates, who (like all attorneys) must zealously defend their clients, would likely raise the discrimination issue. 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. Additional documentation that backs up the applicants claim for needing funding may also be required. 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). You can apply for RAFT online through the Commonwealths Central Application. Families living in emergency shelters are not eligible for RAFT funds, and in theory, RAFT is the superior program, as the goal of the Commonwealth is to keep families out of shelters in the first place. If both parties are amenable to changing the agreement, the tenant would not have to reapply, butthey would need to executea new agreement. Frequently Asked Questions for Landlords about Accepting State Funded Can a renter get RAFT directly and then not give it to the landlord? Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. ONLY a court order can force you to leave your apartment. Furniture. 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. Open to all. Better Communities. The extra RAFT funds from the federal government were meant to be used within a specific amount of time. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a5c456cd3303e18db58e64ae9037f11f" );document.getElementById("gb405c62cf").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Landlord Advocacy - Volunteer Lawyers Project Se enfrenta al desalojo? A step-by-step guide on how to apply for RAFT is available here. If your income can be verified with government databases, you will not have to submit any additional income documentation. However, there is a $10,000 cap in funding, and any money that a family has received from RAFT counts towards that. The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. 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). 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 state is relying on RAFT to help renters during the pandemic, and the nonprofit is being criticized for long delays and mounting uncertainty. Landlords will be able to log in and see all applications for their properties at once, as well as check application statuses in real time. LANDLORD JOURNEYS: Understand what to expect when you or your tenant applies for emergency housing payment assistance. 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. Thank you! 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. RAFT was first piloted in 2005, with a budget of $2 million for that first year. Applications with all required information and documentation will be processed more quickly than those with missing information and documentation. Even if that tenant began paying full rent again in September, they would have tallied $11,562 in rent arrearages. During(or after)the RAFT benefit period, the tenant does notmeet themonthly rent payment obligationthat is stated in the agreement. While many of the special protections for homeowners impacted by COVID-19 are no longer in effect, owner-occupants of 1-4 family properties still may be able to seek relief. You cannot save and return to an application, so you must complete your application in one sitting. Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Applying for Rental Assistance in Massachusetts to Avoid Eviction, contact the Housing and Community Development. When you submit the application, you give consent to DHCD to search other state agency databases to see if your income has already been verified by another qualifying program. RAFT does not serve homeowners. Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). Slides are available only for members in good standing who are logged in. RAFT / HAF - Home Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance This would seem to suggest that RAFT cannot be refused even when it would not fully cover arrears. A lock icon ( Thank you for your website feedback! Please limit your input to 500 characters. It can provide funds for the same housing-related expenses that RAFT covers. c. 151B s. 4 states that it is an unlawful practice: For any person furnishing credit, services or rental accommodations to discriminate against any individual who is a recipient of federal, state, or local public assistance, including medical assistance, or who is a tenant receiving federal, state, or local housing subsidies, including rental assistance or rental supplements, because the individual is such a recipient, or because of any requirement of such public assistance, rental assistance, or housing subsidy program..
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