Baker administration announces $171M eviction diversion initiative to keep people housed during pandemic

BOSTON — During times where hundreds and thousands of people have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic, evictions have become a concern for many Massachusetts residents.

With those concerns over people’s ability to retain housing and as part of an effort to ensure people have the option to keep their homes and stay safe as coronavirus cases continue to climb, Governor Baker has announced “a comprehensive set of resources, known as the Eviction Diversion Initiative, to support tenants and landlords during the financial challenges caused by the pandemic.”

The goal of the $171 million initiative is to keep tenants safely in their homes and support the ongoing expenses landlords are having to handle on their own as less people are able to pay rent.

Baker said the plan was developed by a team assembled by his administration, in coordination with the Massachusetts Trial Court, to manage the end of the moratorium.

The measure comes just days before the Commonwealth’s pause on evictions and foreclosures ends on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Even though the state’s eviction and foreclosure moratorium expires this week, a moratorium established by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) will become effective in Massachusetts when the state’s moratorium ends.

Through December, the CDC moratorium will prevent evictions for non-payment for qualified tenants who submit a written declaration to their landlord. Courts will accept filings and process cases, and may enter judgments but will not issue an order of execution (the court order that allows a landlord to evict a tenant) until after the expiration of the CDC order.

On Sunday afternoon, dozens of people gathered at the Boston Common, raising the alarm to a possible eviction crisis if the moratorium is not extended or new legislation is not passed in time. On Monday afternoon, Baker’s announcement came as a relief for upwards of 100,000 people in Massachusetts who cannot afford to pay their rent and were faced with possible eviction.

“The pandemic has created financial challenges for many individuals and families who are struggling with rent payments, and today we are pleased to announce a $171 million initiative to promote household stability, and provide more support for tenants and small landlords,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This strategy has been designed to be user friendly and easily accessible for tenants and landlords in need, and is comprised of new or expanded programs to help people stay in their homes. This would not be possible without the Legislature’s foresight in granting flexibility for the RAFT authorization. I am grateful to the Court System and all stakeholders for their partnership in this effort in keeping all families and households stable throughout this pandemic.”

Of the money being allocated to fund this initiative, $112 million in new funding will support new and expanded housing stability programs through the end of the fiscal year, including:

• $100 million commitment this fiscal year to expand the capacity of the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program to provide relief to renters and landlords impacted by COVID-19;
• $48.7 million to HomeBASE and other rapid rehousing programs for when tenants are evicted and are at risk of homelessness;
• $12.3 million to provide tenants and landlords with access to legal representation and related services prior to and during the eviction process, as well as community mediation to help tenants and landlords resolve cases outside of court;
• $6.5 million for Housing Consumer Education Centers (HCECs), the “front door” for those facing a housing emergency; and
• $3.8 million for the Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP), to provide case management support and to act as a neutral party to help tenants and landlords come to agreement.

With new investments, Baker says the state will be able to expand the capacity of the RAFT program and increase benefits which will help more families stabilize their housing for six months. The funding will also allow for the state to expand capacity at nine regional Housing Consumer Education Centers (HCECs) to provide housing counseling and coordinate with community mediators, legal services, and caseworkers. Income eligible tenants and landlords will also be able to access legal representation and related services as they navigate the eviction process.

The Administration is also updating the RAFT program to improve turnaround time on applications, while maintaining program integrity, by:

• Streamlining the application process for both the RAFT and Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) programs for low to moderate income households;
• Verifying applicant eligibility with data collected through MassHealth, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), and the Department of Revenue (DOR);
• Referring applicants to MassHIRE Career Centers; and
• Allowing landlords who own fewer than 20 units to apply directly for RAFT and ERMA, with consent from tenants.

The new initiative really focuses on bringing landlords and tenants together to avoid evictions, where both tenants and landlords will have access to more mediation services. Massachusetts will also provide additional funding for post-eviction diversion, helping households to find new housing quickly and prevent a longer period of homelessness.

Also part of the new resources available to tenants, the Baker Administration has launched a public information campaign, where residents can call the Massachusetts 2-1-1 information hotline, which goes into effect on Tuesday, Oct. 13. You can also find more information online on the state’s housing help website here.

Democratic Boston Mayor Marty Walsh last week also announced a “housing stability pledge” that he said aims to prevent evictions during the pandemic once the statewide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures ends.

The pledge asks landlords to honor the federal eviction moratorium; create payment plans with struggling tenants; help connect tenants with resources; and work with tenants with housing vouchers, Walsh said.

Landlords have called the pandemic eviction ban unconstitutional, arguing that it restricted their free speech and their ability to acquire compensation for unlawful land taking.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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The Associated Press contributed to report