General Eligibility Requirements
NOTE: Glossary words are highlighted. Click on any glossary word to see its definition.
Who is eligible for Emergency Assistance?
To be eligible for Emergency Assistance:
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Your family must include one or more dependent children under the age of 21 years OR a pregnant woman with or without other children.
Emergency Assistance is given to the child (or unborn child) and to parents, stepparents, caretaker relatives, legal guardians, and siblings under age 21 who live in the household with the child.
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Your EA family must meet the income and asset limits. See the section on EA Financial Eligibility.
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You, your child, or another member of your EA family must be a U.S. citizen, an American Indian, or an eligible noncitizen.
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You must be homeless.
Note: If you are at risk of losing your housing, you should contact a Housing Consumer Education Center for prevention services. See Housing Consumer Education Centers or call 1-800-224-5124 to find the Center that serves your area.
Who is not eligible for Emergency Assistance (EA)?
You are not eligible for Emergency Assistance if:
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a member of your EA family refused a job or job training without good cause, and this refusal caused your need for Emergency Assistance.
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a member of your EA family quit a job or earned less income, without good cause, within 90 days of the month of application for EA benefits.
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a member of your EA family got rid of assets in the last year just so you could become eligible for EA.
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you received EA within the past 12 months. This is called the 12-month rule. There are exceptions to this rule. See Are there exceptions to the 12-month rule?
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you have an outstanding default or arrest warrant from Massachusetts that has not been resolved within 30 days of being notified of the warrant. If you are the only parent or adult in the EA family, everyone in your EA family must leave the shelter.
Are there work requirements?
There are no specific work requirements for EA. However, you will not be eligible for EA if you need emergency help because you, or a member of your EA family, refused to work without good cause.
In addition, each adult family member in shelter must take part in activities leading to self-sufficiency for a minimum of 30 hours per week unless there is good cause for not participating.
Can noncitizens get Emergency Assistance?
You, your child, or another member of your EA family must be a U.S. citizen, an American Indian, or an eligible noncitizen to get Emergency Assistance. EA family members include parents of the child, stepparents, caretaker relatives, legal guardians, and siblings under age 21.
To be an eligible noncitizen for EA, you must be in one of the following categories:
- noncitizens eligible for TAFDC (see Can noncitizens get TAFDC?)
- other legal permanent residents
- PRUCOL immigrants (permanently residing under color of law)
Check with the DHCD for detailed information about noncitizen eligibility.
As long as at least one EA family member is eligible, all EA family members (parents, stepparents, caretaker relatives, legal guardians, and siblings under 21) are allowed to get Emergency Assistance.
Can seniors get EA?
Seniors can only get EA benefits if they are parents, stepparents, caretaker relatives, or legal guardians of an eligible child and are part of the household where the child lives. In special circumstances, DHCD may allow other relatives (such as non-caretaker grandparents) living with the child to get benefits.
Can people with disabilities get EA?
There are no special rules for people with disabilities. If you meet all the eligibility requirements for EA, you can get emergency assistance if you have a disability.
Who is eligible for temporary emergency shelter?
Your family is eligible for temporary emergency shelter if:
- you meet the eligibility requirements for Emergency Assistance
- you are homeless and can find nowhere else to live
- you can show that no friends, relatives, or charitable organizations will take you in
- AND you can prove that you need shelter for one of the following reasons:
- you are victims of a natural disaster and must move
- you are being evicted and your landlord will not renew your lease
- your current housing is a threat to the health or safety of your family (overcrowded, unsanitary, etc.)
- a member of your EA family has been mistreated or abused in the current housing
- a member of your EA family has a severe medical condition that makes it necessary for you to move
- you cannot stay in your previous or current housing for another good reason
Note: If you are living "doubled up" with another family, you will not be eligible for emergency shelter unless your living situation is a threat to your family for one of the above reasons (overcrowded, abuse, or other health or safety problems).
Your EA family is not eligible for temporary emergency shelter if:
- you became homeless for the purpose of becoming eligible for EA or another housing assistance program
- you abandoned public or subsidized housing in the preceding year without good cause
- you were evicted from public or subsidized housing within the past three years for fraud or non-payment of rent
- you were evicted from housing because a current family member took part in criminal activity or destroyed property
- OR you became homeless because you didn’t cooperate with housing assistance program services.
Are there exceptions to the 12-month rule?
A family may not receive EA benefits more than once in a 12-month period unless:
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the family left an emergency shelter and moved into housing that turned out not to be safe, permanent housing and the family again needs shelter;
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the family needs temporary emergency shelter and the only EA benefit it received in the past 12 months was a back rent payment;
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or the only benefit the family received was housing search assistance and the family cooperated in trying to find permanent housing.
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