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Community Dispute Settlement Center offers free mediation services
COURTESY OF COMMUNITY DISPUTE SETTLEMENT CENTER
The Community Dispute Settlement Center announced the availability of free mediation services to landlords and tenants as part of the state’s Eviction Diversion Initiative.
This free service is designed to resolve eviction or other housing-related conflicts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Free mediation services are also available for separating parents to address issues about co-parenting time and other child related conflicts through the Center’s Parent Mediation Program. Services are available to any interested and eligible individuals from funding from the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration.
Housing Stability
The Census Household Pulse Survey asked renters in March how confident they were in being able to pay April rent. Twenty–seven percent of Massachusetts renters were not confident, the lowest percentage of any state except for Vermont. With all due respect to Vermont, where housing costs are not as high, our COVID-19 housing safety net in Massachusetts may be the best in the nation.
The program Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) has, in less than a year, ramped up to be the preeminent (and movingly named) housing stabilization service of the pandemic. So far it has generously covered over $50 million in rent arrears and going forward stipends. Thanks to federal largess, it is expected to cover $1 billion over the next year, the entirety of pandemic housing, up to 15 months per impacted household.
NATICK It seemed like the world was crashing down on Antonia Arman.
She was out of work, as was her mother who lives with her. Also living in their apartment are Arman s sons, one of whom is 23 and the other 10.
To make matters worse, Arman, 51, and her mother each contracted COVID-19.
It all added up to a drastic cut in family income, and overdue rent piled up. Eventually, a court summons arrived in the mail signaling the start of possible eviction proceedings.
“My anxiety was through the roof,” Arman said, adding she suffered panic attacks that required medication.
Housing insecurity caused by the pandemic and the stress it creates is a problem that has affected hundreds, if not thousands, of MetroWest residents in the past 13 months.
Massachusetts provides $46M in affordable housing grants
March 6, 2021
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BOSTON (AP) Massachusetts is making more than $46 million in grants to support a dozen shovel-ready housing projects across the state that will bring create hundreds of new affordable units.
Of the 572 new units, 507 are considered affordable, and 108 will be reserved for extremely low-income households, according to a statement this week from the Department of Housing and Community Development.
The awards will provide a combination of state and federal housing tax credits, state and federal rental vouchers, and direct funds to support new housing development.
“This public health crisis has exposed how vulnerable our working and low-income families are, and ensuring stable housing is vital, Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox said in a statement. “As we continue to expand our Eviction Diversion Initiative, keeping a healthy pipeline of new affordable d