Economic Resources
MassHire
The MassHire Department of Career Services provides job seekers with a variety of job assistance services, including working with experienced career counselors, attending workshops and short-term training, accessing up-to-date local, statewide, and national job listings, developing resumes, writing cover letters, and more.
View the list of MassHire Career Centers to find a location convenient for you to access these services.
Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) Domestic Violence Services
DTA has a team of DV Specialists located in every DTA office across the state. DTA DV Specialists can assist you with support in navigating DTA benefits, child support options, safe housing options, safety planning, and referrals to additional local resources. Spanish speaking specialists are available, as well as professional interpreter services for over 100 other languages. Please visit DTA Domestic Violence Services | Mass.gov for contact information.
Housing Resources
If you are in need of housing, the state has many resources that can assist you with placement.
If you are a domestic violence survivor fleeing abuse and you or you and your children need temporary, safe refuge and feel you are at imminent risk of violence, please call the SafeLink hotline at 877-785-2020.
If you need to move immediately, a shelter may be the best option for you. Use the interactive map of shelters throughout the state to find what is available. The resources listed on this map are:
Housing Consumer Education Centers (HCEC) offer answers to a wide range of questions about all types of housing problems. Tenants, Landlords, Prospective Buyers, and Homeowners can access information designed to maximize housing stability, strengthen investments, and minimize disputes.
The state also offers several resources through the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that can assist with obtaining housing. A few of these resources are listed below, but to speak with a DHCD specialist please call (617) 573-1100 or visit the DHCD webpage to learn more. If you are currently homeless, you can call DHCD’s homelessness coordinator at (866) 584-0653.
You can also reach out to your local Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC) using this interactive map. HCECs can help you identify which housing resources you qualify for that can best assist you depending on your situation.
Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT)
The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies caused by loss of income, increase in expenses, or both. RAFT helps all kinds of households by providing up to $7,000 per household to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. To be eligible to be awarded future rent payments (stipends), at least one month’s arrearage is required (unless moving due to health/safety crisis, overcrowding, doubled up, etc.)
Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP)
The MRVP provides a permanent improvement in the lives of low-income families and individuals by offering both tenant- and project-based rental subsidies.
Public Housing Assistance Programs
State-aided public housing includes low-income family, elderly, and handicapped housing in buildings owned by Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) throughout 240 cities and towns in Massachusetts. Note that the term “state-aided public housing” does not include state or federal rental payment vouchers or federal public housing programs. Low-income households are typically eligible for the state-aided public housing if they earn no more than 80 percent of the area media income.
Income Limits for State Aided Public Housing (effective April 1, 2021).