The primary goal of NOAH’s Rental Homelessness Prevention and Emergency Housing Assistance programming is to help residents maintain or obtain apartment homes. There is a focus on serving current tenants who are being displaced or who are vulnerable to dislocation, overcrowding, unaffordable rents within the next 90 days. Additionally, this service supports low- and moderate-income individuals and families locate new affordable housing. It also assists those who are newly homeless to obtain shelter or a new apartment.
This programming is in response to the severe lack of affordable, stable housing in the Greater Boston region, and Boston in particular. With rising rents and falling vacancy rates, access to affordable housing is a growing concern. NOAH’s Rental Homelessness Prevention and our Emergency Housing Assistance programming is part of our commitment to low- and moderate-income Boston residents in need of support in retaining, finding, and securing affordable rental opportunities in the region. On average, this programming now serves 250-300+ households each year.
Rental Housing Case Management
NOAH offers free, bilingual (English and Spanish) rental housing services to low- and moderate-income Boston residents, with a particular focus on households in danger of displacement within 90 days or experiencing a housing crisis. One-on-one sessions cover: local resources, grievance and eviction procedures, tenants’ rights and responsibilities, landlords’ rights and responsibilities, equal housing, information about subsidy programs/vouchers for rental housing, etc. NOAH’s Rental Housing staff works to provide clients with resources regarding apartment searches, housing retention/eviction prevention, referrals to legal services, provision of information for accessing MA housing authorities and listings for affordable housing developments, and more. Staffers work with clients to develop housing stabilization plans and budgets. The overall goal is for clients to obtain or remain in stable housing.
Service Lines: EHAP/FAP/FSNP/COVID-19 Rent Relief
There are several service lines under the Rental Homelessness Prevention and Emergency Housing Assistance programming umbrella:
EHAP (Emergency Housing Assistance) – Provides short-term emergency hotel stays immediately following any such Red Cross assistance, as well as move-in grants paid to a new landlord (deposit/first/ or last months’ rent up to $4,500); and also provides counseling/case management, as needed
FSNP (Family Safety Net) – Provides short-term emergency hotel stays and counseling/case management assistance in transitioning to shelter or new housing
FAP (Financial Assistance) – Provides rental funding grants paid to landlords to prevent evictions ‘upstream’ (preferred) or for first or last and deposit for new apartments up to $4,500
COVID-19 Rent Relief – Provides housing-related financial assistance to economically distressed households, including rental payments to landlords to keep households in their apartment homes, payment to utilities of overdue bills, and/or move-in costs for new units, as needed.
Homelessness Prevention – Provides counseling and case management for households at risk of homelessness, particularly for those who do not meet the criteria of the other service lines above.
If you are a Boston resident who wishes to apply for possible Rental Relief funds, please click HERE to apply.
If you are a Boston resident who wishes to apply for the other listed service lines, please email housingstability@boston.gov, call 617-635-4200, or click HERE.