Housing and Shelter
Programs that help people find affordable housing and secure loans; information and guidance on housing-related issues (e.g., floods, housing violations, insulation)
Energy and Utility Assistance
Fuel Assistance can help you pay for heating your house or apartment during the winter months, it can pay for fuel, or if heat is included in your rent, it can pay part of your rent.
Home Modification Loan Program
This program provides loans for access modifications to the principle residence of elders, adults with disabilities and families of children with disabilities.
Legal Remedies for Tenants of Residential Housing
A brief summary of some of the legal remedies tenants may use in order to get housing code violations corrected.
Mass Access
The Mass Accessible Housing Registry is a free program that helps people with disabilities find rental housing in Massachusetts, primarily accessible and barrier-free housing. The database tracks accessible and affordable apartments throughout the state, maintaining information about their availability. This link takes you to a Web site external to Massachusetts state government.
Public and Subsidized Housing and Emergency Shelter
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers the Commonwealth's public and subsidized housing programs; in addition, DHCD oversees the Emergency Assistance system that provides shelter to homeless families and individuals. Rent in most of DHCD's subsidized and public housing is kept at low, affordable rates. DHCD also works with community groups, advocates, and other municipal and state agencies to provide an array of options to people threatened with the loss of their homes. If you are having trouble staying in your current home, are searching for a more affordable home, or need emergency housing assistance of any kind, please contact DHCD at 617-573-1100.
Statewide Homeless Operations Research Environment (SHORE)
The Statewide Homeless Operations Research Environment (SHORE) collects an array of data on homelessness. The goals of SHORE are to prevent duplicate counting of homeless persons, to analyze their patterns of use of assistance, including how they enter and exit the homeless assistance system and to measure the effectiveness of the service delivery system for homeless men, women and children in Massachusetts. The SHORE Newsletter provides updates on Steering Committee activities, system development and enhancements, collaborations with homeless service providers and Continua of Care, update of HUD regulations and the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and other information of interest to homeless services providers.
Storm Fact Sheet
Support Services for Homeless Families
F.O.R. Families is a home visiting program whose primary goal is to help homeless families transition from homelessness to stable permanent housing. Services are free and participation is voluntary.
Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI)
The UFFI program has been discontinued and the statute concerning air testing was repealed on 11/08/02; information on former air testing results and removal contractors is still available.