Raft Program Massachusetts: RAFT is emergency assistance for housing costs in Massachusetts. RAFT means Residential Assistance for Families in Transition, according to the mass.gov website.
The RAFT program provides short-term emergency funds to help people in Massachusetts cope with eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies.
According to mass.gov, RAFT provides up to $7,000 over 12 months to all eligible individuals so that your family can stay in their current home or move into a new home without any burden.
People/You can use the Money received by RAFT for rent, utilities, moving costs, and mortgage payments.
The RAFT program Massachusetts always helps all homeless or homeless people.
If you also want to get emergency assistance for housing costs from the RAFT Program MA, then you must go through the RAFT Eligibility Criteria.
Once you Qualify for this, You can apply for RAFT application online, check your application status, and get benefits of $7,000 per 12-month easily.
Eligibility Criteria for RAFT Program Massachusetts
The following requirements must be met to be eligible for the Mass RAFT Program.
- You have a problem such as being homeless or at risk of losing your home. For example:
- You have received a quit notice or eviction notice.
- You have fallen behind on your mortgage.
- You have received a utility shutoff notice.
- Or you cannot live in your home for health, safety, or other reasons.
- Your income must be below the 50% of your city/town’s Area Median Income (AMI).
- You are eligible if your income is less than 60% of your city/town’s AMI and you are at risk of domestic violence.
Required Document for RAFT Program Massachusetts
To apply for RAFT application, you need to provide some required documents, such as;
ID for Head of Household: state-issued driver’s license, birth certificate, or passport.
Proof of Current Housing: lease, tenancy agreement, or tenancy at-will agreement.
Verification of Housing Crisis: Notice to Quit, proof that you are behind on your mortgage, an eviction notice, a utility shutoff notice, or documentation showing that you can’t stay in your present home due to health, safety, or further reasons.
Income Verification: You must verify your income, and upload your income documents which is asking.
Landlord application: After you submit your application, notify your landlord or property manager as soon as possible. They must also apply to complete the application process. If they do not submit the application within 21 days, your application will expire, and you will have to apply again.
How to Apply for RAFT?
To RAFT Program application, you must go to the Massachusetts Emergency Housing Payment Assistance Portal. It may take 20-30 minutes to complete the RAFT application online.
- Click on the Apply Now button.
- Click on the “Register as a new user” option to create a new account.
- After that, log in to your account and fill out the required information.
- Upload the required documents.
- And submit the application form.
Once you submit your RAFT program application, a Regional Administering Agency (RAA) or the Rental Assistance Processing Center (RAP) will review the application form. Once the review is completed, they will notify you through email with a deadline to update your application.
How long does the review take?
An RAFT application can usually take less than 30 days after submission. However, applications with all the required information and documentation will be processed and notified more quickly.
RAFT Program Application Status
You can check the raft program application status online through the official website of Massachusetts Emergency Housing Payment Assistance.
- Go to the official website through the given link.
- Login to your account using your Username and Password.
- After that, Track your Status in my account section.
Alternatively, you can see whether the raft program application status is pending or not on your registered email ID and MEHPA account.
RAFT Program Massachusetts Phone Number
To get any assistance about the RAFT program, you can contact me via phone number at (877) 211-6277, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For other language – TTY Call Massachusetts 2-1-1, TTY at(508) 370-4890.
Also, you can contact a live person via online chat at the Massachusetts 2-1-1 website – https://mass211.org.
FAQs
Can you apply for raft twice?
Yes, you can re-apply for the RAFT program after 30 days if you are found ineligible or your application is incorrect.
Who is eligible for Raft in Massachusetts?
People who are at risk of losing their housing are eligible. And those whose income is less than 50% or 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) of your city/town.
How long does raft take to pay landlord?
Once your Rafta application is approved, you will get your payment within 2 weeks.