Mirroring the Williamstown Emergency Rental Assistance Program the board created last summer, the new program will provide grants of up to $15,000 to help homeowners economically impacted by the pandemic stay in their homes.
Like the emergency rental program, the emergency mortgage grants will be administered by Pittsfield's Berkshire Housing Development Corp., which will screen applicants for eligibility and need.
The seven-person trust board Wednesday authorized a three-member subcommittee to communicate the board's decisions about the program to BHDC, sign an agreement and get the program live so it can start accepting applications.
Trustee Daniel Gura, a member of that subcommittee that has been building the program with the Pittsfield non-profit, said he expects the final agreement can be signed before the trustees' April meeting.