LYNN — While evictions and foreclosures have been stalled in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, people still have to pay rent.
Rent may even be raised during the outbreak, according to the Attorney General’s Office, as long as the increase takes place at the start of a new lease, as usual.
However, organizations like Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development (LHAND) are directing residents affected by COVID-19 to use services like Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) to keep up with payments.
According to LHAND, eligible households may receive up to $4,000 per 12-month period to help with rent payments. Eligible households include those with an income at or below the area’s median income (AMI) with documentation proving a current “crisis” in paying rent. The AMI for Essex County is $109,200.
For information and to start the RAFT process, visit www.waitlistcheck.com/MA2977-1918.
Gov. Charlie Baker announced last month that RAFT would receive at least a $5 million boost during the pandemic, and housing court is closed, except for in emergency cases, until at least May 4.
Evictions are temporarily halted not only for residents, but for small businesses, due to Gov. Baker’s April 20 moratorium. In addition to the eviction moratorium, lenders are required to offer small homeowners a mortgage forbearance, with payments added to the end of the loan term without interest.
A coalition of lawyers, unions, nonprofits, and community organizers helped get the moratorium passed, but some, such as Rose Webster-Smith of Springfield No One Leaves, said more should be done to ensure people don’t have “crushing housing debt” when the pandemic is over.
“This bill is a good start, but we also need parallel relief for renters to prevent a wave of evictions after the emergency is lifted,” said Webster-Smith. We hope to move forward rent relief for tenants alongside additional help for homeowners, owner-occupant landlords, and others impacted by the crisis.”
