Somerville Announces Additional $1.5M In Rental Assistance

SOMERVILLE, MA – Mayor Joseph Curtatone announced an additional $1.5 million in rental assistance for Somerville residents experiencing hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. The funding, which is provided by the federal CARES Act, will be given to local nonprofits to support rental assistance for low- and moderate-income households.

"The statewide moratorium on evictions is a good start, but we all know it's not enough," Curtatone said in a statement. "Many tenants will still owe back rent when the moratorium ends. Others will be struggling to reenter the workplace and will need rental assistance until they are able to stabilize financially. One of the rallying cries of this pandemic has been ‘stay home, save lives.’ But the reality is 'stay home if you can afford it.' Through no fault of their own, too many people are having to decide whether to pay rent or buy groceries. This pandemic has not impacted everyone equally. In Somerville, we’re doing everything we can to direct relief where our residents need it most."

Somerville recently amended its 2019 Housing and Community Development Annual Action Plan in order to become eligible to receive more than $2 million in Supplemental Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding through the CARES Act. After $1.5 million is allocated for rental assistance, the remaining funds will support other critical COVID-19 relief efforts, including healthcare services and food security programs.

Residents seeking rental assistance will be able to access the funds through partner nonprofit organizations. Per federal requirements, nonprofits interested in administering these funds will need to submit an application to the city.

Organizations awarded funds will then develop and implement their own applications for residents. Once nonprofits have been selected, an announcement will be made to the community on where and how to apply.

In the meantime, tenants in need of emergency COVID-related assistance for unpaid rent, as well as homeowners currently in need of help with unpaid mortgage bills, can apply for assistance paying those bills through the state's RAFT program (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition). There are no immigration restrictions on receipt of RAFT benefits.

Tenants and homeowners having difficulty accessing RAFT benefits can contact the Office of Housing Stability at somervillema.gov/ohs to fill out a request for OHS assistance with those applications or call 617-625-6600 ext. 2581.

"Approximately 65 percent of Somerville residents are renters, and most of the individuals who are experiencing severe economic hardship during this pandemic pay rent for their housing. Some are not eligible for unemployment assistance or stimulus payments," Somerville Office of Housing Stability Director Ellen Shachter said in a statement. "This makes for an incredibly anxious, uncertain time for too many people in our community. These funds will allow more people to stay in their homes, which is vitally important because housing security is crucial to containing this pandemic."