Boston Real Estate Apartments in 2021

Boston Renters: Here’s how to apply for apartment aid

In the stimulus package signed into law last month, the national ban on evictions was extended through January and a $25 billion pot of money was established for renters struggling amid the health and economic crisis.

That money will help to keep many of the 14 million Americans who are behind on their rent in their homes during the coldest months of the year and while a pandemic rages. Still, housing advocates say more money is needed. By one estimate, after 10 months of record job losses and business shutdowns, rental arrears in the U.S. may be closer to $70 billion.

Now that Democrats are in control of Congress, additional relief measures for renters stand a better chance of materializing. Democrats in May had called for $100 billion in housing assistance and a 12-month eviction moratorium but ultimately scaled back their demands in negotiations with Republicans.

For now, here’s what you need to know about accessing the $25 billion fund.

Am I Eligible for Boston Apartment Assistance?

To qualify for the assistance, at least one member in your household has to be eligible for unemployment benefits or attest in writing that they’ve lost income or incurred significant expenses due to the pandemic.

You will also need to demonstrate a risk of homelessness, which may include a past due rent or utility notice.

In addition, your income level for 2020 can’t exceed 80% of your area’s median income, though states have been directed to prioritize applicants who fall at 50% or lower, as well as those who’ve been out of work for 90 days or more.

Are the Boston Apartment Funds Available Now?

Boston, Massachusetts will have the funds by Jan. 20.

How do I apply for Boston Apartment Assistance?

Renters should contact local housing groups, their representatives or the local 211/311 lines to identify programs and learn how to apply,” she added.

Your landlord can also apply for you but must get your signature and provide you with a copy of the application.

Boston Real Estate Apartments in 2021

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Boston Renters: Here’s how to apply for apartment aid

Even with the darkest days of the pandemic behind us, the number of renters in financial trouble isn’t falling.
Many families won’t be able to pay off their debts until rental assistance reaches them.
Yet that $45 billion in aid passed by Congress to address the crisis has been bafflingly slow to reach households.

Beacon Hill apartments

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Apartment rents and evictions

The end of eviction protections combined with the snail-paced distribution of federal rental assistance means that the struggles for renters aren’t going away anytime soon.

More than 6 million households remain behind on apartment rent payments, a figure that has only worsened of late, despite Congress’ unprecedented allocation of funding for renters in distress.

That $45 billion in aid has been bafflingly slow to reach families.

Apartment rent stimulus

By the end of August, just around $5 billion had been spent, even though the funding was approved in stimulus packages passed in December and then March. Fewer than 1 million households had been helped.

Even as the worst of the pandemic appears behind us and unemployment levels drop, many renters won’t be able to clear up their arrears until they receive federal aid.

The average debt in Maryland, where nearly 19% of apartment renters continue to be behind, is more than $4,500, according to data provided to CNBC by Surgo Ventures, a nonprofit organization focusing on health and data.

The typical balance in California, where 15% of apartment renters are not caught up, is closer to $5,200.

The troubles are even greater in certain counties: Around 1 in 4 renters are behind in the Bronx, New York. A study earlier this year by New York University found that thousands of renters in New York City have debts in excess of $10,000.

“Our rental arrears crisis is one that has a solution: There are funds available to renting families to help them pay their rent,” said Dr. Sema Sgaier, co-founder and CEO of Surgo Ventures and an adjunct assistant professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

“But those funds aren’t being handed out quickly enough, and our analysis shows that.”

Advocates blame the troubled rollout of the funds on complicated applications and short-staffing across the hundreds of organizations tasked with giving out the aid.

“Public officials are more concerned about so-called scammers getting this money than they are about the people who truly need it,” said Dan Rose, an assistant professor of sociology at Winston-Salem State University and an organizer with Housing Justice Now.

The long waits have become only more vexing for families after the Supreme Court decided last month to overturn the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s national eviction ban. The court said the health agency had exceeded its authority with the policy, which also drew the ire of landlords.

Apartment renters eviction bans

Although the persistence of some state eviction bans will keep renters protected over the next few months, more than 2 million people could be at immediate risk of eviction, a new analysis by the Urban Institute found.

That could be the largest eviction crisis the country has experienced.

“It is very possible that this one may be unprecedented, especially if rental assistance does not get out to the people who need it,” said Christopher Davis, a data scientist at the Urban Institute.