RENTAL ASSISTANCE

If you need help with rent or paying your mortgage, MA offers several assistance programs, one of which is NeighborWorks Housing Solutions. If you have a passport you can apply here.

In this program, the accepted documentation is:

There are four categories of documentation:

ID for head of household:
1. This document must include the full name of the head of household and date of birth. Examples include a state-issued driver's license, birth certificate, or passport.
  1. No photo needed
  2. Expired IDs will be accepted
Proof of Current Housing
1. This includes a lease agreement, lease agreement or um lease form at will . You can work with your landlord to create a simple lease agreement, even if you don't currently have one in place. A tenancy agreement is an agreement between a landlord and a tenant that specifies the terms and conditions of the lessee's temporary possession of the property, space or room, usually for a short period of time, which automatically renews unless the lessee or landlord terminates by giving written notice.
Housing crisis check (applicants must demonstrate that they are at risk of becoming homeless), may include:
1. Expired rent notice
2. Judicial subpoenas
3. notice to leave
4. eviction notice
5. Host letter (if folded)
Proof of Income
ALL family members must prove income eligibility in ONE of the following ways

Assumed Eligibility: Families receiving benefits from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) or most MassHealth plans (verified online) are considered eligible and do not need to submit documentation.

Benefit Letters: families can demonstrate income eligibility with a letter or form dated 1st January 1st Tax Year , or later, for one of the following benefit programs:

Public housing (state or federal)
Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
State housing vouchers: MRVP (Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program), AHVP (Alternative Housing Voucher Program), DMH (Department of Mental Health) or DDS (Department of Developmental Services) housing vouchers
LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
Subsidized Day Care in Massachusetts
Veterans Chapter 115 Benefits

Annual income: households can qualify based on annual income by submitting their previous income tax return (Form 1040 or 1040EZ). Families who qualify based on their tax return do not need to provide proof of current monthly income.

Self-submitted documents showing current monthly income:

Monthly job income can be verified by two paychecks from the last 60 days for each job
Monthly income from other sources can be verified by the most recent benefit letters (social security, child support, unemployment, etc.)

For more information enterhere.

Another state program includes Public Housing.

To apply for public housing with state aid, you must use the Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Public Housing (CHAMP). You can apply using CHAMP online at thissite ou in person by filling out a form. Online and paper entries are available in Portuguesehere.

If you have a disability, you have the right to request reasonable accommodation during the application process. To do this, contact them.

Apply Online:

If you think you have applied for state-assisted public housing before, you can search your application _cc7819 -5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ at thissite.
If you have never applied for state-assisted public housing before, you can create a new account online. Using an online account will allow you to make changes to your application in real time and allow a Local Housing Authority to contact you directly if they need to request additional information.
When applying online, pay close attention to sections marked with an asterisk (*). If these questions are left blank, your application will be incomplete and will not be fully processed.

apply on paper

To download a paper CHAMP application form, please refer to the list below.
For your application to be complete, you must provide all required (*) information and sign the Candidate Certification AND Fair Information Practices Act - Bill of Rights.
At the end of your CHAMP application, you will need to select housing programs at each Local Housing Authority where you wish to apply. It is important to only apply for housing programs with the Local Housing Authorities where you wish to live.
When you have completed the entire paper form, mail or hand-mail it to a Local Housing Authority. You will only need to submit your application to an LHA.
Once your completed CHAMP form has been received by a Local Housing Authority, they will enter your information into the CHAMP database and you will be able to access it online using your Application Identification Number.
Note: All information provided on your application will need to be verified by a Local Housing Authority before any offers of housing are made.

In betweenhere for a list of agencies in your city that help with the application. Just enter your city at the top of the form.