Emergency housing assistance and eviction
Find emergency shelter
There are separate emergency shelters for families, individuals over 18, and young people. Shelters do not reserve spaces specifically for people with disabilities. However, families (including pregnant people) living with some medical conditions may not have to wait as long for a spot in a family shelter.
Shelters for individuals are not run by Massachusetts state government. You should contact the individual shelter or shelter provider to learn if they are designed and operated in a way that works for you.
When you apply for EA Family Shelter, you can ask for help that you may need because of a disability. For example, you can ask for help with the application or say what you need to access an EA Family Shelter. EA Family Shelters also have ADA coordinators who you can speak with after you're placed in one.
At risk of losing your housing (including eviction)
Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) can provide up to $7,000 per 12-month period for eligible applicants (regardless of ability) to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs, and overdue rent or mortgage payments.
If you're worried about eviction, you may want to get legal help and mediating with your landlord.
You may also want to learn about how the eviction process works for tenants, including
- Receiving a notice to quit
- Mediating with your landlord
- The eviction court process
The Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP) is a homelessness prevention program. It's for families facing eviction where someone in the family has a disability (including aging related impairments).
Find affordable and accessible housing
Where to look for housing and where to go for help
Housing Navigator Massachusetts (for renters) and MyMassHome (for home buyers) let you for search for housing with accessibility features, such as wheelchair accessibility, ground floor units, elevators, and roll-in showers. On HousingNavigator, you can also filter the search for “rent based on income.” Rent based on income means you pay a fixed percentage of your income on rent, usually 30% of your income.
Find your regional Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC). HCECs are important resources for people with housing questions. They have local (regional) knowledge. They can help with issues related to homelessness prevention, budgeting, buying a house, and other information about housing.
Centers for Independent Living are private nonprofits run by and for people with disabilities. They focus on helping you live independently, whether you choose to live alone or with others. Find an Independent Living Center near you.
MassOptions works with older people and people with disabilities. You’ll contact a trained specialist, who will help you get what you need to live independently.
Government programs that provide or help pay for housing
This guide to housing assistance lists most of housing programs that Massachusetts state government offers. Two important programs to know about are state-funded public housing and state rental vouchers. There are federal versions of these programs, too. You can apply for both programs in CHAMP (Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Programs).
There are also federal housing vouchers (Section 8) and federal public housing programs.
The waitlists for these programs can be very long (years), so it helps to apply for as many as you can. You may be able to speed up the application process if you have a qualifying reason. Examples of qualifying reasons are that you have a serious illness or injury caused by your current housing, or that your current housing prevents you from getting the care necessary to treat the condition. Learn more about what reasons qualify as priority.
Public housing
Anyone earning less than 80% of their area median income may be eligible for state-funded public housing. Here are the income limits for state-funded public housing. You apply for public housing in a system called CHAMP. Learn how to apply or contact your Local Housing Authority (LHA) for more information. Some public housing is reserved for people with disabilities.
Congregate housing is a special type of public housing for seniors and people with disabilities. Residents have a private bedroom but may share a kitchen, living room, and bathroom with housemates. Some congregate housing programs also have coordinators who help build community and make sure the living environment is stable. They may help you access community services, manage issues between residents, and plan social events. You can’t apply for congregate housing in CHAMP. Instead, you’ll find a location where you want to live and contact them directly.
For more information about housing assistance for adults who are over 60, please see this housing guide for older adults.
Note: These are state-funded public housing programs. For information about federal public housing, visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's website.
Subsidized housing: Rental vouchers
People with low income can apply for voucher programs that pay part of their rent. In most cases, when you have a voucher, you pay 30% of your income towards rent and the government pays the rest.
There are rental voucher programs funded by both Massachusetts and the federal government. The waitlist for any voucher program can be very long, so you may want to apply for all of them to increase your chances of getting a voucher.
- (State-funded) Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP): For low-income people under 60 with disabilities
- (State-funded) Massachusetts Rental Vouchers Program (MRVP): For people with low incomes
- (Federally-funded) Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP, also called Section 8): For people with low incomes. Some vouchers are set aside for people with disabilities.
Rights (including the state sanitary code)
Tenants' rights
People with disabilities have the same tenants’ rights as people without disabilities.
The Housing section of MassLegalHelp offers guidance on tenants’ rights, housing discrimination, and eviction. This is written or reviewed by staff from legal aid programs and attorneys.
For questions about state sanitary code, contact your city or town’s Board of Health.
Disability rights in housing
The Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) helps people understand how disability rights apply in housing. For example, you can get information about:
- What landlords can ask about disabilities
- Reasonable accommodations (for example, if you can't access a parking spot because it is too far away)
- Service or emotional support animals in housing
To get help, start with MOD's guide to disability rights in housing. If your situation is not an emergency, you may also contact MOD online. They usually respond within a week.
Last updated: | October 4, 2024 |
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