The state has announced that those in need of COVID-related Housing Assistance — including assistance with Rent, Utilities, and Mortgage Payment — can now apply utilizing the RAFT application at our Regional Housing Agency Partner Metro Housing Boston.
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.
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:
ID for Head of Household:
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.
No photo required
Expired IDs will be accepted
Proof of Current Housing
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.
Verification of Housing Crisis (applicants must demonstrate that they’re at risk of homelessness), could include:
Notice of overdue rent
Court summons
Notice to quit
Notice of eviction
Letter from host (if doubled up)
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.)
The Office of Planning & Development hosts residents and tenants for Housing Assistance by appointment only. Please email Valentina Moreno or call 3-1-1.
Multilingual Federal Assistance Guidance Documents
Q: Can I apply if I ma having a hardship for the next month's rent. A: Yes
Q: If I got assistance before, can they apply again? A: Yes, as long as it's not for the same month you received assistance for previously.
Q: Do I use the same application link for mortgage, rent and utilities? A: Yes.
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: How do I prove a COVID financial hardship? A: Applicants can simply provide a short self-statement (written or verbal) connecting their housing emergency with the COVID-19 crisis. Third-party verification or documentation verifying loss of income is not needed.
Q: Who do I contact for an update on my ERAP/ERMA/RAFT Application if I live in Revere? A: You can call or email MBHP and request an update along with your full name, contact information and address.
The US federal eviction moratorium has been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Remember: Your landlord cannot evict you; Only a judge can.
Worried about eviction? You still have options
Congress has allocated more than $45 billion in rental assistance to address the crisis, and only a sliver of the money has been spent so far. If you’re approved for the relief, you could get up to 18 months of rent covered.
Just applying can help you stay in your home longer.
Massachusetts Temporary Eviction Ban
Massachusetts is banning evictions against those with a pending rental assistance application.
If your landlord is refusing to cooperate, about a quarter of the programs now allow the assistance to go directly to the tenant.
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
SEEK HELP IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PAY YOUR RENT **All Tenants Are Still Required to Pay Their Rent.**
Chelsea Legal Services
The City of Revere has partnered with Chelsea Legal Services to create and manage the Revere Legal Clinic in order to assist those in the community facing evictions and housing issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Revere Legal Clinic will provide holistic legal services to the disenfranchised, economically disadvantaged, disabled, and elderly Revere residents regardless of income level or immigration status. If you face conflict with your landlord or are in danger of losing your housing, please call the number below to review your options.
Residents should call the office directly at 617-466-3037 or email info@chelsealegalservices.orgto to schedule an appointment.
The Revere Legal Clinic will provide the following services:
Landlord-Tenant mediation
Representation in eviction proceedings
Other housing legal issues
Pricing
Chelsea Legal Services is committed to providing low-cost legal services to the disenfranchised, disabled and elderly residents living in Revere.
Free or low-cost legal services are available to Revere residents on an income-based sliding scale.
Please contact the Revere Legal Clinic to learn about eligibility.
Language
The Revere Legal Clinic provides services in English and Spanish. Language interpretation services are available to assist speakers of other languages.
Contact the Revere Legal Clinic
Due to the pandemic, the Revere Legal Clinic offices are unable to take walk-ins.
Residents should call the office directly at 617-466-3037 or email info@chelsealegalservices.orgto to schedule an appointment.
Additional Eviction Resources
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.
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
Tenant Resources
Having a Problem with Your Landlord?
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.
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
How do I 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
Landlords are eligible to apply for financial assistance on behalf of their tenants who are overdue on rent due to COVID. All adult household members must sign a Tenant Consent form in order for the Landlord to complete this process.
Revere residents and Landlords can receive personal assistance through this process from the Housing Stability Office. Please email vmoreno@revere.org.
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
Dept. of Housing & Community Development (Continuum of Care (CoC))
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:
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.
