Massachusetts RAFT Rental Assistance: How to Apply for Up to $7,000

Massachusetts RAFT, short for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition, is an active state program for households facing an immediate housing problem. It is not a year-specific scholarship or a contest with one annual closing date. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) accepts applications through the Housing Help Hub, and the state’s application page tells residents to apply or check an existing case there.

RAFT can help a household stay in its current home or move into another home when an eligible crisis puts housing at risk. The current program page lists eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. The assistance may cover rent, utilities, moving costs, mortgage payments, and other costs that resolve the crisis. The maximum is $7,000 per household in any rolling 12-month period. A household may receive assistance more than once during that period if its combined awards stay within the cap.

There is no published fixed application deadline on the official application page. Because applications are currently accepted through the Housing Help Hub, this listing uses rolling in the deadline field. Funding and eligibility decisions still depend on the current rules, available resources, the household’s verified crisis, and the regional agency reviewing the case. Applying promptly matters when an eviction, shutoff, foreclosure, or loss of housing is already underway.

RAFT at a glance

What RAFT can pay for

RAFT is short-term emergency housing assistance. It is meant to remove a specific barrier that could cause homelessness or housing instability, not to provide an indefinite monthly rent subsidy. The state application page identifies these common uses:

• Rent owed when a household has an eligible eviction-related crisis.
• Utility costs when a shutoff or loss of service threatens the household’s housing.
• Mortgage payments and other homeowner costs when an owner-occupant faces an eligible crisis.
• Moving costs and rental start-up costs when a household must obtain new housing because of the crisis.
• Other housing costs that an administering agency determines are necessary to resolve the eligible crisis.

The benefit can be used for a combination of approved costs, but the combined total cannot exceed $7,000 in the rolling 12-month period. The agency must determine that the payment will resolve the crisis. For example, if the requested rent arrears are larger than the maximum benefit, the agency may need evidence of a payment plan or another source of funds for the remaining balance. An award that does not prevent the housing loss will not solve the program’s purpose simply because the household is otherwise low income.

For a move, the applicant generally needs a secured unit and written information from the property owner about the tenancy and the costs required. The state administrative plan allows start-up costs such as a security deposit or first and last month’s rent in qualifying situations. It does not treat RAFT as an open-ended promise to pay future rent, and the state plan says rental stipends for future rent are not an allowable program expense. Ask the assigned agency which costs are permitted in the specific case before signing a lease or paying a fee.

Payments are generally arranged with the landlord, utility company, mortgage servicer, or another approved payee rather than handed to the applicant as unrestricted cash. The payee may need to supply identity, ownership, tax, and payment information. That is why a tenant should tell the landlord or property manager about the application as soon as possible.

Who may qualify

RAFT requires both an eligible housing crisis and income eligibility. The program serves Massachusetts residents who are currently at risk of homelessness or housing instability in Massachusetts. The current rules cover renters, owner-occupants, people who are homeless and moving into housing, and households of different sizes and configurations.

The income rules are based on the Area Median Income for the applicant’s city or town and household size. The ordinary limit is below 50% of AMI. A household may qualify below 60% of AMI when it is at risk of housing instability because of domestic violence. The Housing Help Hub and the assigned agency determine how income is verified. Some households may have income eligibility verified automatically through qualifying DTA or MassHealth information; other households may be asked for pay stubs, benefit records, or other income documents.

The crisis must be current when the application is submitted. Examples listed by the state include:

• A Notice to Quit, eviction notice, or court-related eviction problem.
• A foreclosure risk for an eligible homeowner.
• A utility shutoff or termination notice.
• A health, safety, or other condition that means the household cannot remain in the current home.
• Homelessness or an imminent risk of becoming homeless.
• A housing transition in which eligible assistance is needed to obtain a safer or stable unit.

The evidence needed depends on the crisis. An applicant requesting rent-arrears help should expect to provide the required eviction or Notice to Quit documentation, and a rent ledger may be needed to establish the amount owed. A utility request should include the utility’s shutoff or termination notice and the overdue amount. A household that is doubled up, in temporary housing, or otherwise homeless may need a letter or other documentation from a host, shelter, service provider, medical professional, or advocate. Self-statements may be accepted as a last resort when the situation cannot reasonably be documented elsewhere, but applicants should provide third-party evidence when it exists.

Households in Emergency Assistance family shelter or households using HomeBASE should ask their shelter or housing worker which program applies. The state administrative plan generally directs households receiving Emergency Assistance shelter or an active HomeBASE benefit to HomeBASE, which is the larger benefit, rather than concurrent RAFT support for the same period. A household may still have a route to RAFT in some circumstances after HomeBASE assistance is exhausted or when it is not eligible for HomeBASE. The agency should make that determination; do not submit inconsistent applications for the same expense.

Documents to prepare

The official administrative plan and application instructions identify a core set of records. Gather them before opening the application, while recognizing that the reviewing agency can request additional information.

1. Identification for the head of household. A state-issued ID, driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, or another accepted document can be used. The document must show the head of household’s name and date of birth. The state says a Social Security card is not required, although applicants who have Social Security numbers must report them in the application.
2. Proof of current housing. Use a lease, tenancy agreement, tenancy-at-will agreement, or another document showing the current housing arrangement. A household moving into a new unit should also keep the new lease or written owner verification available.
3. Proof of the housing crisis. Examples include a Notice to Quit, eviction or court document, utility shutoff notice, foreclosure document, evidence of unsafe housing, or a letter confirming homelessness or an imminent housing loss.
4. Income information. State every household member’s income in the application. The agency may verify it automatically or request pay stubs, benefit records, self-employment records, or other documents for income sources it cannot verify electronically.
5. Amount owed or cost required. For rent arrears, keep a current rent ledger or other written statement showing the balance. For utilities, keep the account notice showing what must be paid to prevent shutoff or restore service. For a move, keep the written terms and required start-up costs for the secured unit.
6. Landlord or payee records. A landlord receiving payment may need a completed W-9, proof of identity, proof of ownership or authorized agency, and payment information. The property owner or authorized agent must complete the corresponding landlord application when the case involves a landlord payment.

Use clear, readable scans or photographs. Make sure names, addresses, household size, income amounts, and the crisis explanation are consistent across the application and attachments. If a required document does not exist, explain that in the application and ask the assigned agency what substitute evidence it will accept.

How to apply through the Housing Help Hub

The state’s current process is centralized. A regional Housing Consumer Education Center can help, but the case is submitted through the Housing Help Hub rather than through the old Metro Housing Boston press-release page.

1. Check the basic fit. Confirm that you live in Massachusetts, have a current housing crisis, and appear to fall below the applicable AMI limit. The state application page links to an eligibility checker and an AMI lookup.
2. Create or access a Housing Help Hub account. Use the official portal linked from the Mass.gov RAFT application page. The tenant or homeowner application takes about 20–30 minutes according to the state instructions. Save the login details and application number.
3. Complete the applicant form. Describe the current crisis, the housing address, household members, income, requested assistance, and the amount needed to resolve the crisis. Upload the documents that are available. The application should explain why the requested payment will prevent the housing loss.
4. Tell the landlord or property manager. If RAFT will pay rent or another landlord-held charge, the landlord must complete a corresponding application. The tenant and landlord applications need to match in the Housing Help Hub. The state says the landlord has 21 days to submit; otherwise the tenant case can time out and require a new application.
5. Respond to the assigned agency. A Regional Administering Agency or the Rental Assistance Processing Center reviews the case. If something is missing, staff email instructions and a deadline for uploading the requested material. Use the Housing Help Hub to submit additional documents, and check the account and email regularly.
6. Track the decision and payment. The state says a response usually takes fewer than 30 days after the tenant application is submitted, with complete files moving faster. Once approved, payment usually goes out within 14 business days. These are stated processing expectations, not a guarantee, so keep the landlord, utility company, or mortgage servicer informed and continue responding to any notices.

If online access is a barrier, contact the local Regional Administering Agency or Housing Consumer Education Center for help. Massachusetts 2-1-1 is also listed by the state as a free information and referral service. Ask for help before an eviction hearing, utility termination, foreclosure action, or move-out date becomes irreversible.

Avoidable application problems

The most useful preparation is practical. Apply for the crisis that is actually happening, request only costs tied to resolving it, and make the numbers easy to verify. Do not describe a past hardship as if it were a current crisis. Use the current $7,000 rolling 12-month cap when planning the request, and do not assume that a general income problem is enough without crisis evidence. Do not rely on a landlord’s verbal promise to participate when the case requires a landlord application.

Keep copies of every notice, ledger, upload, and email. If the agency asks for a correction, reply before its stated deadline. If the requested award cannot cover the full arrears, ask the landlord and agency about a documented payment plan rather than submitting a duplicate case. A second application will not increase the cap and can make it harder to match the tenant and landlord records.

RAFT is emergency help, so it may not solve a long-term affordability problem by itself. While the case is under review, ask the assigned agency about mediation, legal aid, utility assistance, HomeBASE, shelter diversion, or other resources that fit the household’s situation. If the immediate crisis is an eviction, keep attending court and following legal notices unless a qualified attorney or housing counselor tells you otherwise; an application is not the same as an approval or a court order.

Official application and source

Start with the Massachusetts application page: Apply for RAFT (emergency help for housing costs). That page links to the Housing Help Hub, the eligibility checker, Regional Administering Agency help, and application-status instructions.

The state also publishes the current RAFT administrative plan, which provides the operating rules used by the agencies. Use the current Mass.gov page and the assigned agency’s instructions for any case-specific question, because funding, documentation, and routing decisions can change while the program remains active.