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Homelessness Programs
- IN MASSACHUSETTS -
Massachusetts homelessness programs are for people with little or no money who are homeless or in danger of losing their housing. Homelessness programs help Massachusetts residents who have nowhere to live, or are facing eviction or foreclosure, living in unsafe housing, or paying too much for housing.
For more information, click on the programs below:
The Emergency Assistance program helps pregnant women and families with children who are homeless. The program provides emergency shelter and help finding permanent housing. Emergency Assistance is run by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Use the online EA Eligibility Check to see if you might qualify for benefits.
RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) is a homelessness prevention program that gives short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. RAFT helps families who are behind on rent, mortgage payments, or utility bills. RAFT also helps families who have to move but do not have enough money to pay a security deposit, utility startup costs, or first/last month’s rent.
The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) helps homeless and at-risk individuals and families who only need short-term assistance to resolve their housing crisis. HPRP helps with rental assistance, back rent, utility bills and arrearages, security deposits, moving and storage costs, and hotel/motel vouchers.
Emergency shelters and transitional programs give temporary housing and support services to homeless people. Some shelters are for families with children, some are for runaway teens and teen parents, and some are for single adult men and women without children. Transitional programs provide many support services to help homeless people find housing and live independently.
Non-government agencies offer homelessness prevention services to residents who have nowhere to live or are in danger of losing their housing. Some of these agencies offer direct services, while others give referrals.
Foreclosure prevention programs are free counseling and mortgage assistance programs that help you if you are in trouble with your home loan, or think you will be in trouble in the future. The programs may make it possible for you to keep your home. Tenants in foreclosed buildings are protected by Massachusetts law and do not have to move out right away.
Homelessness Programs section last updated on 6/15/10
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