Trust hears RAP rental-assistance update: 24 households, 10 grants issued, one eviction notice flagged

At its Feb. 14 meeting, an Affordable Housing Trust presenter reported early progress on the rental assistance pilot (RAP). As of January, the program had 24 applicant households covering 63 individuals; staff said 10 grants had been issued for a total of just over $39,000, making the average award about $3,900.

Staff cautioned that early spending consumed a substantial portion of the pilot budget and recommended monitoring before any expansion. Program awards generally cover roughly two months of assistance per award.

Staff described one case in which a landlord refused to accept program funds for an apartment building; the Trust arranged a memorandum of understanding with Saint Luke's Parish outreach so the outreach group could accept the funds on behalf of eligible tenants and be reimbursed by the Trust. Staff reported that, when MetroWest reached out to the landlord, the owner's attorney sent a notice to quit to a tenant; staff said that notice would be an illegal eviction based on source of funds and that staff intervened to resolve the matter.

Quote: "When MetroWest reached out to the landlord, the owner's attorney said, 'no,' and then sent the tenant a notice to quit, which is illegal," a presenter said, describing staff action to protect the tenant.

The Trust also discussed whether to include Section 8 or Housing Choice Voucher recipients in the program; staff said federal program rules may complicate inclusion and that they would verify the local presence of voucher holders. Members agreed to monitor program utilization and budget before widening eligibility and to refine memoranda of understanding with partners where needed.

Staff said they will finalize sample agreements and loan/grant paperwork for Trustee and counsel review and return with updated budget tracking.