Housing Help
Are you struggling with housing? This page contains information about resources and services that may help.
I need help paying my rent or mortgage.
Apply for the City of Boston’s emergency rental assistance program.
Apply for the state’s emergency rental and mortgage assistance program. Residents of the Greater Boston area can apply through MetroHousing Boston.
My landlord is asking me to leave my apartment.
Only a judge can formally evict you from your home. Know your rights and seek legal help.
There are organizations that can help:
– City Life/Vida Urbana helps tenants and homeowners at risk of losing their homes. They hold know-your-rights trainings. They also connect people to legal services. Call their hotline or visit their website to learn more.
– The Massachusetts COVID Eviction Legal Help Project gives free legal help to low-income tenants and to low-income owner-occupants of 2 or 3-family homes. Visit their website to learn more.
– Greater Boston Legal Services offers free legal services to low-income residents. Call them at 617-603-1807 or email them housinghelp@gbls.org.
** Please note that in Massachusetts, a landlord cannot evict you for falling behind on rent due to COVID-19 if you have a pending rental assistance application.
Additionally, the City of Boston’s Office of Housing Stability offers the following important advice:
A landlord cannot force you out by changing the locks or shutting off the utilities. Landlords must follow a legal process. Learn about the eviction process.
YOUR LANDLORD CANNOT:
– move your belongings out of your apartment
– change your locks
– shut off your utilities, or
– interfere with your use of the unit without permission from the court.
IF YOUR LANDLORD HAS DONE OR THREATENS TO DO ANY OF THE ABOVE, YOU SHOULD:
– Call the police.
– Call the Attorney General’s Office at 617-727-8400 or fill out this form.
– Call the Office of Housing Stability at 617-635-4200 or 3-1-1 and ask for legal assistance.
– Fill out this form (available in English, Español, Português, 中文, Français, Kriolu Kabuverdianu, Kreyòl ayisyen, Soomaali, русский, Tiếng Việt, or عربى) in your preferred language and email it to OHSintake@boston.gov.
Visit this MassLegalHelp page for more information.
I’m having problems with my landlord or roommate.
If you fear that you are in danger, call the police.
If you need someone to mediate between you and your landlord or a roommate, call the City of Boston’s Office of Housing Stability at 617-635-4200 and ask for assistance.
Every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., the Office of Housing Stability hosts a virtual clinic. Complete their online form to RSVP for this clinic, where you can speak with attorneys and a landlord mediator.
I need help finding a place to live.
Follow this guidance from the City of Boston’s Office of Housing Stability:
– Use Metrolist to search for affordable housing.
– Fill out this Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Programs.
– Visit the Boston Housing Authority website.
– Watch this housing search workshop in English or Spanish.
– Visit HousingWorks for additional resources.
– If your income is below 80 percent AMI, the Office of Housing Stability has contracts with several nonprofits that are here to assist you with housing search. Email housingstability@boston.gov or call (617) 635-4200 for a direct referral.
My apartment is in bad condition, and my landlord refuses to help.
CONTACT INSPECTIONAL SERVICES AT 617-635-5300 IF:
– your apartment needs repairs or is in code violation, or
– your utilities have been shut off.
– If you feel that you are being discriminated against, contact the Office of Fair Housing and Equity at 617-635-2500.
For more information, visit boston.gov/housingstability. If you need assistance with these resources, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Call us at 857-293-1465 or email adrian.madaro@mahouse.gov.