The Eviction and Foreclosure Moratorium ends August 18. But unemployment due to COVID-19 will unfortunately continue into the Fall and Winter for many hundreds of thousands of families.
The NAACP New Bedford Branch is supporting Massachusetts House and Senate Legislation “An Act to Guarantee Housing Stability during the COVID-19 Emergency & Recovery” (HD.5166 / SD.2992). These bills protect tenants, assist homeowners, and stabilize landlords.
Organizations — add your support here: https://homesforallmass.netlify.app/#org-sign-on-form
Individuals – add your support here: https://www.housingguarantee.org/
An Act to Guarantee Housing Stability during the COVID-19 Emergency and Recovery meets the challenge of this moment, ensuring housing stability by:
Protecting tenants
- protects tenants who are unable to pay rent due to a direct or indirect impact of COVID-19 against eviction for non-payment (for payments missed 3/10/20 through 12 months after the end of the State of Emergency)
- stops “no-cause” evictions through 12 months after the end of the State of Emergency with the option for municipalities to extend this “just cause” protection longer
- halts rent increases through 12 months after the end of the State of Emergency
- prevents unfair damage to credit and negative court records *
Assisting homeowners
- extends the ban on foreclosures of most owner-occupied properties *
- extends the right to mortgage deferment (with payments put on the end of the loan) through 12 months after the end of the State of Emergency
- ensures borrowers cannot be charged penalties for missed payments during the forbearance
Stabilizing landlords
- expands the right to a mortgage deferment to landlords who own up to 15 rental units
- establishes a COVID-19 Housing Stability and Recovery Fund to assist property owners who lost rental income or missed mortgage payments due to the pandemic
- ensures working-class homeowners and owner-occupant, non-profit, and small-scale landlords have first priority in receiving support from the Fund, and creates an oversight board with representation from communities hardest hit by the pandemic and housing crisis
We urge legislators to pass this bill quickly in order to protect residents who are suffering through no fault of their own, to safeguard public health, and to set the stage for a strong and equitable economic recovery.
Organizations — add your support here: https://homesforallmass.netlify.app/#org-sign-on-form
Individuals – add your support here: https://www.housingguarantee.org/
