Rental Relief Fund
Update: The pre-screening form for the second round of Rental Relief funding is open now through Friday, June 19, at 12 p.m. Complete the form in your preferred language: English, Español, Kriolu Kabuverdianu, Kreyòl ayisyen, Português, Tiếng Việt, 中文.
Call the Office of Housing Stability at 617-635-4200 for help completing the pre-screening form in any of the languages listed above, or for help in français, русский, soomaali, or عربى. The lottery will be conducted on Monday, June 22.
Have questions? Contact:
Office of Housing StabilityA person’s immigration status is not asked during the Rental Relief Fund application process. Receiving funds does not impact other financial assistance that a person may be already receiving. Also, assistance from the fund does not affect immigration applications as a “public charge” ground of inadmissibility.
About the fund
We're dedicating $8 million in federal stimulus funds to help Boston residents at risk of losing their rental housing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds will help income-eligible tenants in the City of Boston who:
- do not have access to expanded unemployment benefits, or
- because of the nature of their jobs, the unemployment benefits they will receive represent a significant reduction in their actual income.
We're helping tenants achieve housing stability by using these funds to assist with their rental payments.
Application information
To qualify for this financial assistance, you must either:
- not be eligible for the new extended unemployment benefits offered by the federal government, or
- because of the nature of your job, the unemployment benefits that you will receive represent a significant reduction in your actual income.
Applicants will also need to certify that:
- they do not receive a rental subsidy,
- they do not have savings to meet this need, and
- do not have access to other resources, including gifts from family members or other associates.
The Rental Relief Fund is managed by the Office of Housing Stability with three nonprofit partners:
The amount of help renters receive will be determined after taking into account other sources of income, including:
- the expected expansion of unemployment benefits under new federal rules established by the CARES Act, and
- the one-time federal payments many residents are expected to receive.