Malden Developing Program To Aid Residents Facing Eviction

MALDEN, MA — Mayor Gary Christenson and the Malden Redevelopment Authority have rolled out resources for tenants and landlords to help prevent evictions in response to the moratorium ending Oct. 17. The city and MRA are also developing a program to provide court-based mediation, legal aid and rental assistance to Malden residents facing eviction.

A tenant can only be evicted by a judge following a trial. Landlords cannot evict a tenant before a trial takes place. Resources are available to both tenants and landlords to help prevent eviction. Tenants should be aware that they may be granted some protection under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eviction moratorium, which is in place until December 31, 2020. More information about evictions, the CDC moratorium, and organizations that can help is available online at www.cityofmalden.org/eviction.

If you are worried about being evicted, please review the resources on that page, and contact the City’s Human Services Director Karen Colon-Hayes at khayes@cityofmalden.org or 781-397-7144.

The City and MRA recognize the role of landlords in preventing eviction and have prepared resources for landlords to help prevent eviction and access rental assistance funds. Some landlords may also be eligible for federal subsidies to convert their buildings into affordable housing. For more information about these resources, landlords should visit www.cityofmalden.org/eviction.

The MRA is in the process of obtaining housing services providers to offer mediation, legal aid and rental assistance to Malden households facing an eviction in court. The program would cover both the Northeast Housing Court's Woburn session, which covers Malden, and Malden District Court. Residents receiving an eviction notice ("Notice to Quit") will be contacted by the housing services provider. For more information on the program's development, please visit www.cityofmalden.org/eviction.