Evictions soar during pandemic as Mass. residents struggle to stay in housing

BOSTON — Frank Sharp lost his house in Dorchester in the recession to foreclosure. He was able to stay as a tenant.

But more than a decade later, the Vietnam veteran is facing a no-fault eviction after his landlord doubled the rent.

“It’s wintertime and it’s cold. And if I get evicted out of my home during this time, I’m more susceptible to pick up the pandemic,“ says Sharp.

The state’s eviction and foreclosure moratorium expired on Oct. 17. Frank says his landlord moved to execute an eviction judgment two days later.

Disabled, recovering from a stroke and having never missed a rent payment, Sharp says all he needs is time to get the funds together to find a new home.

And he’s not alone.

According to housing court data, eviction filings have jumped from 21 on Oct. 19 to 689 just last week.

Sharp says, “I think it was irresponsible. It’s insensitive. There’s so many people being affected by it.”

Gov. Charlie Baker’s $171 million dollar plan to head off evictions included an expansion of rental assistance programs like RAFT, but advocates say they’re seeing wait times of up to four months to process claims.

Plus, the CDC moratorium, which expires at the end of the year, doesn’t stop landlords from filing for eviction or stop the court from issuing a judgment.

“Landlords need help here. And in particular, we need a safety net to be working for renters. And a lot of times the only way we can access it is by going to court,” says Doug Quattrochi of Masslandlords.net. He says the courts have mediators, and people who can connect renters with RAFT faster.

Cambridge representative Mike Connolly says some help is on the way from Beacon Hill.

“Both the house and the Senate include language in the budget that would protect a tenant who is seeking rental assistance from the state while their eviction case is processing,” he said.

A spokesperson from the Trial Court says they do not expect to enter any new judgments this week.

You can find more on eviction resources here.

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