Office of Housing Stability

Recertification Application for Emergency Rental Assistance

These forms are to request additional stipends to help pay your future rent IF  you have received Emergency Rental Assistance funds after March 22, 2021, AND it has been at least 45 days since you received Emergency Rental Assistance.

Visit: https://www.mass.gov/recertification-for-emergency-rental-assistance

You must submit a complete application with all required documents to quickly receive your benefits.

Additionally, we encourage tenants to reach out early to their landlords, and inform them about an ERAP application. Landlords or property management will be needed to complete the process.

There are four categories of documentation:

1. ID for Head of Household:
1. This document will need to include the head of household’s full name and date of birth. Examples include a state issued driver’s license, birth certificate, or passport.
1. No photo required
2. Expired IDs will be accepted
2. Proof of Current Housing
1. This includes a lease, tenancy agreement or a tenancy at-will form. You can work with your landlord to create a simple tenancy agreement even if you do not have one in place currently. A tenancy agreement is a contract between a landlord and a tenant specifying the terms and conditions of the renter's temporary possession of the property, space or room, normally for a short period of time, that automatically renews unless the tenant or landlord ends it by giving written notice.
3. Verification of Housing Crisis (applicants must demonstrate that they’re at risk of homelessness), could include:
1. Notice of overdue rent
2. Court summons​
3. Notice to quit​
4. Notice of eviction​
5. Letter from host (if doubled up​)
4. Proof of Income
   ALL members of the household must prove income eligibility in ONE of the following ways

Impacted by COVID-19? You may be eligible for more assistance.

COVID-19 impact can be indirect. When applying for assistance, please select Yes if your situation was either directly caused by COVID-19 OR has become worse since March 2020. This could include losing a job, having hours reduced, losing access to childcare or dependent care, seeing increased expenses, or something else. You must describe your situation, but documentation is not required. Some programs do not require a COVID-19 related impact.

Presumed eligibility: Households receiving benefits from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) or most MassHealth plans (verified online) are presumed eligible and do not need to submit documentation.​

OR

Benefit Letters: Households can demonstrate income eligibility with a letter or form that is dated January 1, 2020, or later, for one of the following benefit programs:

• Public housing (state or federal)​
• Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)​
• State housing vouchers: MRVP (Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program), AHVP (Alternative Housing Voucher Program), DMH (Department of Mental Health), or DDS (Department of Developmental Services) housing vouchers​
• LIHEAP​ (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
• Massachusetts subsidized childcare​
• Veterans Chapter 115 benefits ​

OR

2020 Annual Income:  Households may qualify based on annual income by submitting their filed 2020 tax return (Form 1040 or 1040EZ).  Households that qualify based on their filed 2020 tax return do not need to submit proof of current monthly income.

OR

Self-Submitted Documents Showing Current Monthly Income:​

• Monthly income from work may be verified by two paystubs from the past 60 days for each job
• Monthly income from other sources may be verified by most recent benefit letters (social security, child support, unemployment, etc.)​

Download

Espanol

The Office of Planning & Development hosts residents for Housing Assistance by appointment only. Please email Valentina Moreno or call 3-1-1.

UPDATE: The Office of Housing Stability currently has a waiting list for personal assistance with RAFT/ERAP applications. Please call 3-1-1 if you need assistance and or would like to be added to the waiting list.

• English - Federal ERAP Application Guidance Document
• Chinese - Federal ERAP Application Guidance Document
• Haitian Creole - Federal ERAP Application Guidance Document
• Khmer - Federal ERAP Application Guidance Document
• Portuguese - Federal ERAP Application Guidance Document
• Russian - Federal ERAP Application Guidance Document
• Spanish - Federal ERAP Application Guidance Document
• Vietnamese - Federal ERAP Application Guidance Document

Q: Can I apply if I’m having a hardship for the next month’s rent?

A: No, *Effective January 1, 2022, the “Pre-Court Rental Assistance” crisis has been renamed to “PreCourt Rental Arrears” to reflect a new policy requiring at least one month of arrears for households not yet in court, and not experiencing another housing crisis.

Q: Do I use the same application link for mortgage, rent and utilities?
A: No, please visit the Massachusetts Homeowner Assistance Fund website. CLICK HERE

Q: What happens if I submit a partial application?
A: Avoid this if at all possible. partial applications will create significant delays in you receiving assistance.

Q: Who do I contact for an update on my ERAP/RAFT Application if I live in Revere?
A: You can call or email MBHP and request an update along with your Application number, full name, contact information and address.

• • Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP)

    Phone: (617) 425-6700
    Email: resourceline@MetroHousingBoston.org

• If you received a Notice to Quit or Eviction Summons and Complaint from the Court, please contact GBLS & CELHP. Boston also provides an excellent "how to respond to an eviction" page for more information about legal resources. 
• COVID-19 Eviction Diversion: Receiving a Notice to Quit
• The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has developed a Step-by-Step Guide for renters that are at risk of eviction.  You can find the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) guide at the following link:  Step-by-Step Guide for People at Risk of Eviction

A landlord cannot force you out by changing the locks or shutting off the utilities. 

Landlords must follow a legal eviction process. If the landlord has changed your locks, please call the police. You should also report the landlord to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Consumer Complaint Hotline: You can call Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm, at 617-727-8400, or submit online. 

When to contact Inspectional Services: 

• If your apartment needs repairs or is in code violation: 
• If your utilities have been shut off.
• If you feel that you are being discriminated against

If those sound like your situation, contact Michael Wells, Director of Inspectional Services or 3-1-1 ( 781-286-8311).

COVID-19 has placed many Tenants and Landlords in financially challenging situations. Conflicts can escalate and dispute resolution can help. The Community Dispute Settlement Center, Inc. (CDSC) can provide FREE housing - related mediation services to both Tenants and Landlords. Community Dispute Settlement Center Information

https://www.mass.gov/how-to/how-to-apply-for-emergency-housing-payment-assistance

Revere residents can receive personal assistance through this process from the Housing Stability Office. Please email Valentina Moreno  vmoreno@revere.org  

• Find affordable home rentals in Massachusetts with Housing Navigator MA
• Fill out this Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Programs.
• Visit HousingWorks for additional resources
• Use Metro Housing Boston to search for affordable housing. 
• MassAccess: The accessible Housing Registry.
• Mass.gov Affordable Housing.
• Visit MassLegalHelp website.

Address: 437 Revere St., Revere, MA 02151
Phone: (339) 440-5633
Weekdays: Tuesday & Thursday 
Hours: 10 AM - 2 PM
Website: http://healthinnovationsinc.com/

The City of Revere’s Substance Use Disorder Initiatives (SUDI) Office has partnered with Health Innovations to support those experiencing unsheltered homelessness. 

Health Innovations is located at the SUDI Office every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM - 2 PM. All services are free and confidential, and no is appointment necessary. 

The program is staffed by a nurse practitioner and harm reduction specialist who speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Services include, but are not limited to:

Street Outreach and Engagement

• Conduct outreach to homeless encampments and other locations where high risk populations and members of their social networks congregate
• Access to basic needs prioritized by clients, e.g., distributing basic necessities and harm reduction supplies
• Provide health education and information about health and community services
• Reinforce positive behaviors, and facilitate client empowerment

Harm Reduction

• Conduct HIV, Hepatitis B & C, STI and COVID testing
• Provide information on preventing transmission of infectious diseases, and safe injection practices
• Conduct Comprehensive individual risk assessment including sexual risk, drug use risk, mental health, etc.
• Provide training on how to use condoms correctly and consistently
• Provide access to Syringe Service Programs
• Conduct overdose education and prevention, and provision of naloxone 

Case Management

• Linkage to emergency shelters and housing resources 
• Link clients to Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR) providers 
• Enroll or re-enroll in Mass Health and Medicaid, and assist with other public benefits 
• Assist clients and choosing a provider of choice or re-engaging, including connection to health insurance
• Triage and refer to appropriate level of care
• Troubleshoot pharmacy related barriers
• Provide active referrals to substance abuse treatment and other social services

100 Cambridge Street, Boston MA
Phone: (617) 573-1100
Days: First Wednesday of the month
Hours: 10:00 AM
Website: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/housing-and-community-development

The CoC is a regional body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless individuals and families. The City of Revere is part of the Balance of the State CoC, which is the only CoC managed by the Dept. of Housing & Community Development. 

The CoC prioritizes helping those experiencing unsheltered homelessness and living in shelters the streets access to permanent housing with ongoing support services. This included:

• Funding permanent supported housing for over 800 formerly homeless individuals and families
• Conducting street outreach to homeless people living in places people would not normally live (abandoned buildings, under bridges, in their cars, etc.) in an effort to get them into a more safe environment
• Working with CoC members in an effort to help better coordinate homeless services in the CoC jurisdiction
• Increasing the number of housing units to be made available by leveraging other local and state resources to provide the services

Who is Eligible?

Homeless individuals and families with a disabling condition, and a long-term need for ongoing help to access and maintain housing

How to Access CoC Resources

People interested in applying for CoC-funded housing through Balance of State should discuss his or her needs with local homeless service providers, and/or with a worker representing a state agency funded provider. These service providers can help complete a Coordinated Entry Overview application packet.  

If you don’t know of a service provider, applications may be obtained by either:

• calling 617-573-1390
• using this link to email a request or
• by downloading these forms
• Instructions for completing the Balance of State CoC Coordinated Entry forms
• Applications Packet
• Instrucciones de entrada coordinadas
• Evaluación y formularios en Español

 For help in accessing an emergency shelter, either speak with a local homeless service provider, if you know of one, or follow this link to the Service Provider Listing.