METROPOLITAN BOSTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP (MBHP)

Kevin Donaher, Director of Customer Relations for the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP) introduced his colleagues and gave some background about the agency at the June CRC Information Session. The program, one of the nine Housing Consumer Education Centers in the state, offers a variety of housing-related services. They have the capacity to serve people in 8 - 9 languages and have their own affordable housing units with attached subsidies which often enable them to house people relatively quickly.

They also have a mediation program to help resolve landlord/tenant disputes, stabilize living situations and, ideally, avoid eviction proceedings.

Homelessness Prevention Clearinghouse – Gail Hunt, Program Director. This is a new 3-year program to strengthen homelessness prevention services citywide. The program will be working with more than 35 agencies identified by the city to develop a coordinated network to create a “no wrong door” policy for Boston residents seeking assistance. The program will not duplicate services offered by agencies already working in these areas, but will work with agencies to streamline the referral system so that people can receive timely and efficient services from the appropriate agency. They will have an application scheduled to be available August 1 st. The program will also provide some emergency funds for individuals and families at-risk of homelessness.

The program was highlighted in a June 6, 2006 Boston Globe editorial.

(Boston) Mayor Thomas Menino has a plan to keep cash-strapped city residents from being evicted. Immediate help could be money for back rent or other expenses, or a referral to an existing program. Long term, Menino's initiative would help people make plans to increase their incomes to protect against future homelessness.

The strength of the plan is its flexibility. Free of federal and state rules, it can tailor services to meet individual needs. That might mean providing rent money, help pursuing more education, or a referral to a financial literacy course.

``No wrong door" is the goal.…Often, human services agencies work in silos, leaving people to knock on many doors for help….(T)he clearinghouse holds great promise.

For more information call Gail Hunt, BHPC Program Director at (617) 425-6662.

Home Modification Loan Program – Jennifer Shaw, Property Owner Resource Manager. This program administers funds provided by the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission for those needing loans to make modifications to their home to accommodate a resident with a disability. Typical modifications funded by the program include building ramps, widening doorways, purchasing a chair lift, adding a bedroom or bath to the first floor or making kitchen and bath modifications for those using a wheelchair.

Loans can range up to $25,000. There are two main types of loan depending on household income. 0% loans do not require repayment until the beneficiary sells the home or moves out. 3% loans require monthly payments and can be repaid in 5 – 15 years. To qualify for a 0% loan the family must have income up to 100% of the local median income- currently $58,900 for an individual and $84,100 for a family of four. The limit for a 3% loan is up to 200% of median income - currently $117,800 for an individual and $168,200 for a family of four.

The program also can give guidance on choosing and hiring architectural, design and contracting professionals. They have an inspector who assists by monitoring progress and intervening as needed.

Eligibility:

• Must meet income guidelines based on total gross household income.
• The residential unit must be the primary residence of the individual with the disability.
• The modifications must be necessary to allow the beneficiary to remain in the home and must specifically relate to the functional limitation caused by the disability.

This program is available throughout the state. MBHP is the greater Boston area agency. Contact Jennifer Shaw at (617) 425-6637. The other programs are listed in IRis or you can contact the CRC.

Housing Consumer Education Center - Farrah Bruny . This is one of nine throughout Massachusetts that administer Section 8. They offer information and referral services, and hold housing search workshops and workshops on accessing benefits. Users have access to fax machines and computers at the center to aid their search. The program keeps apartment listings and resource information such as landlord/tenant law references. These services are free and open to the public.

The Staying at Home Program - Farrah Bruny. This program offers a more intensive case management model for the elderly, and those with physical or mental disabilities. They try to coordinate/access other services that would allow someone to remain at home. Examples include arranging to have medications delivered to an agoraphobic patient, or arranging a buddy for a “shut-in”. They also have some limited funds for things that aren’t access related (those would fall under the Home Modifications Loan Program). Examples of uses for these funds include lawn work, painting, changing locks and replacing a furnace or hot water heater. They are currently working on special programming for hoarders.

RAFT – MBHP is the Boston area agency that administers RAFT- the state-funded Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program. RAFT provides short-term financial assistance to low-income families at risk for homelessness or transitioning from shelter. Families can access up to $3,000 (maximum for lifetime) in flexible funds to help with first or last month’s rent, security deposits, or utility arrears. Ms. Bruny noted that this program has exhausted this year’s appropriations statewide.She expects it to reopen in late August or early September and that there will be changes in the program due to level-funding this year.

Current Eligibility:

• Families must have a child under age 21 OR one person in family must be disabled
• Income less than 130% FPL (in 2006 approximately $12, 745 for an individual and $26,005 for a family of four).
• Must demonstrate a “compelling reason” why this is a one-time need and that they can generally afford the rent.

Section 8 Project-Based Housing - Natalie Brooks, Program Manager. MBHP has their own stock of units that have a Section 8 subsidy attached to the residence. These are generally single rooms with shared facilities such as an “SRO” (Single Room Occupancy). The waitlist for this program is usually short- usually a matter of a couple of months.

Eligibility (applicants must meet all of the below):

• must be an individual (not a family)
• have legal/qualified immigrant status
• homeless, displaced or paying at least 50% of income in rent, OR meet a housing preference category under the “Very Low Income” category.

One extremely useful benefit of this program is that after a year in residence in one of these programs, MBHP has the authority to give the resident a mobile voucher (if they have any, which so far they usually do). Mobile voucher are currently very difficult to impossible to get via any other means; no new vouchers were issued in the past three years.

Mass Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) – Similar to Section 8, but is offered through the state and currently has no immigration status requirements. The waiting list for this program is expected to open in the Boston area in the next month or two.

06/06