Dear Neighbor,
The legislative session ends this month. I can't write about everything we've done or need to do. Tomorrow (Thursday) we'll be voting on the Reform, Shift and Build bill, to reform police standards, shift resources, and build a more equitable Commonwealth. I'll write about that soon, but you can watch the debate.
This newsletter is about the evictions moratorium bill Rep. Connolly, Rep. Honan, and I filed last week, as well as a new housing assistance program from Mystic Valley NAACP and Century Bank.
EVICTIONS MORATORIUM BILL FILED
In April, the legislature created a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. It will expire Aug. 18 if the pandemic state of emergency hasn't been lifted before then, or if the governor extends the moratorium.
Reps Connolly, Honan and I filed a Housing Stability bill last week. Tenants unable to pay rent due “directly or indirectly” to the effects of the pandemic could not be evicted for 12 months after the expiration of the current moratorium.
Unlike the current moratorium, it would apply to only those who are unable to pay due to pandemic. The bill would also freeze rents at their March 10 level for a year after the emergency.
The bill includes measures for homeowners and small landlords as well. It would ban foreclosures for mortgage nonpayment for a year after the current moratorium expires and would extend the mortgage deferment program for homeowners and landlords with fewer than 15 units.
Finally, the bill would establish a fund to reimburse landlords for lost rental revenues and an oversight board to oversee the disbursement of the money.
You can read the bill here. A complete summary is at the end of this newsletter.
WHY A LONGER MORATORIUM?
It is hard to imagine the scale of the homelessness that will occur if the moratorium is not extended. The Housing Court estimates that 20,000 eviction cases will be filed as soon as the moratorium ends. Within a short time, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council estimates that 120,000 families will be at risk of not being able to meet rent and expects a "tsunami of evictions." The governor's pledge of $20 million in housing stability funds seems large but it will not help even half of those the Housing Court expects or one out of every 12 of those the MAPC expects.
Many people are already falling behind on rent. Just before the moratorium expires, at the end of this month, over a million MA families will lose $600/week in federal supplements to unemployment insurance. Many of those who’ve been hanging on with that help will not be able to pay rent.
The statistics are too big to comprehend, so I talked to Somerville's Office of Housing Stability to learn about the local situation. The office has received over 500 new cases since March 13. And that’s just the people who knew enough to contact them. Over 72% of those needing rental assistance spoke another primary language. Many are immigrants who are ineligible for federal benefits, like stimulus checks, even if they have been paying taxes. Most of the people calling were families with children.
Here's one story: The office worked with two separate Latinx families with minor children. In each case the family breadwinners had died from COVID-19. The mothers are now the sole caretakers of their children and struggling to find work and for assistance with food and rent. Neither family was eligible for federal CARES Act benefits.
Somerville has three different funds to help with these situations and has already run out of ability to assist families. And now, unless we pass the extension, the moratorium will end and the need will expand.
What will happen if thousands of families are evicted during the pandemic? There certainly won't be room in shelters, and there's little way to socially distance in them. In April, Boston officials reported that 1/3 of Boston's homeless population had tested positive. Families without shelter may be forced into even more crowded shared apartments, increasing the likelihood of spreading disease as well as other trauma.
I believe the extension of the moratorium will save lives. I'm grateful to work together with Representatives Connolly and Honan, as well as many other legislators and a broad coalition.
We don’t have much time. The bills have not yet had a hearing, and session ends July 31. There is serious, organized opposition. If there is serious, organized support for a solution to the predicted tsunami of homelessness, we can pass a strong bill.
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GOOD NEWS! NAACP AND CENTURY BANK OFFER HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUNDS
The NAACP's Mystic Valley Area Branch of the NAACP, with a generous matching donation from Century Bank, has established a Housing Assistance Program to improve housing opportunities for low to moderate income families.
The Program will grant funds to first-time home buyers towards down payment or closing costs. Emergency rent assistance is also available. Funding will also be considered for limited home maintenance needs such as HVAC repair, wheelchair ramp installation, and other unexpected expenses needed to maintain a livable and accessible home.
Low to moderate income families in Arlington, Everett, Lexington, Somerville, Malden, Medford, Winchester, or Woburn.are eligible (details are on the application). Older residents in the same areas may also qualify and don't have to meet the income restrictions..
Gratitude particularly to Zane Crute, president of the Mystic Valley Branch; Cornelius Prioleau, housing chair of the branch and Vice President of Century Bank; and Barry Sloane, President and CEO of Century Bank.
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SUMMARY OF HOUSING STABILITY BILL
Protecting Renters and Preventing Evictions
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Cancel/ban evictions for rent due from the start of the COVID-19 State of Emergency through 12 months following the end of the State of Emergency, if tenant was unable to pay because of a direct or indirect impact of COVID-19.
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Provide “Just Cause” protections to ensure tenants and foreclosed homeowners cannot be evicted for no- fault or non-renewal of leases for 12 months following the end of the emergency declaration.
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Freeze rents at pre-COVID-19 levels; rents as of March 10, 2020 remain in effect through 12 months following the end of the State of Emergency.
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Provide a local option for municipalities to extend Just Cause protections upon expiration.
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Provide strong protections against unfair debt-collection activities for tenants impacted by COVID-19.
Protecting Homeowners, Stabilizing Landlords, and Halting Foreclosures
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Cancel/ban foreclosures for homeowners and most owner-occupant landlords based upon missed mortgage payments due and payable through 12 months following the end of the COVID-19 State of Emergency.
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Expand current mortgage deferment protections to landlords who own up to 15 rental units to ensure interest does not accrue during the forbearance, and missed payments are put at the end of the loan.
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Extend current mortgage deferment protections for one year after the conclusion of the State of Emergency.
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Ensure borrowers cannot be charged penalties for non-payment of mortgage.
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Establish a COVID-19 Housing Stability and Recovery Fund to assist property owners who lost rental
income or missed mortgage payments due to COVID-19. Priority will be given to working-class homeowners, owner-occupant landlords, non-profit landlords, and landlords who own 15 or fewer units. Property owners that draw upon the fund will be obligated to extend protections to tenants.
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Establish an Oversight and Advisory Board to make recommendations on the administration of the Housing Stability and Recovery Fund. This board will include members of the Legislature’s Coronavirus Working Group as well as strong representation of people from communities hardest hit by the pandemic and housing crisis.
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Stay safe, and stay in touch!
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