LHAND struggles to maintain funding for rental assistance program

For years Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development (LHAND) has been a valuable asset for families at risk of eviction. Funding constraints have now put that program in jeopardy.

LHAND has maintained substantial financial support for at-risk families who are facing eviction or homelessness. The agency is a partner with the Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program, which allocates state tax revenues to provide supportive funding to families experiencing financial crises.

Applicants are limited to families that have at least one child. Pregnant mothers would also qualify as long as they met the strict need-based income requirements.

Families who found themselves past due on their rent have been able to receive funds in the following areas:

  • Back rent. Depending on the level of delinquency and whether or not the tenant has received an eviction notice, tenants have been able to receive back rent that is paid directly to the landlord. Assistance was not just limited to late rent payments either, as utility payments could also be caught up through direct funding.
  • Rent stipends. Families who qualified could receive subsidized rent. These stipends could be used to partially pay each month’s rent, thereby lowering the amount a family would have to come up with on their own. Similar to what is traditionally called Section 8, this program would cut the monthly rent payments.
  • Landlord incentives. LHAND would make payments directly to a landlord as a reward for leasing to families at a high risk of homelessness. The purpose of the program was to increase the percentage of families in the program that would be approved for a new occupancy. Many of these families with checkered credit history and spotty employment might otherwise be denied.
  • Moving assistance. Families who needed help paying for a moving truck or other moving help could receive a partial payment to put towards these costs.

LHAND announced that they would stop accepting new families into the popular RAFT program due to funding constraints. The application process was paused on April 1, 2013. It is unknown if funding will be restored in the near future.

For more information or to check if new applications will be accepted in the future, call 781-581-8640.