Assistance available to low-income landlords
His tenant had not paid rent for close to a year, and the landlord filed an eviction action based on nonpayment of rent.
On the day of trial, with the help of housing court mediation, and the presence of the Wayfinders group, the landlord and tenant were able to enter into an agreement requiring the tenant to immediately apply for RAFT/financial assistance to cover the full rental arrearage and the case was continued to allow for the tenant to file.
The Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association represented the landlord for his next two court dates.
This case study is one example of the support landlords can receive if they are struggling to collect rent and make mortgage payments.
The statewide advocacy program focusing on the financial well-being of small, low-income landlords who are often elderly, non-native English speakers and/or people of color aims to take the pressure off.
The Volunteer Lawyers Project is looking to partner with community organizations to help raise awareness of the services offered to low-income landlords across Massachusetts made available due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The neglected landlord population can lose their livelihoods, their homes, and their legacies if they don’t get the advice they need to be a successful landlord," VLP Executive Director Joanna Allison said in a press release.
The services are offered through a state-funded program called the Landlord Advocacy Project that assists low-income, qualifying small landlords residing in two to three-bedroom homes.
The program offers legal assistance including 15-minute, one-on-one legal advice, limited assistance representation, information and resources and referrals. It also offers financial assistance application support for rental, mortgage and utilities assistance.
A team of volunteer attorneys, law students and staff are working together to advocate for these low-income landlords.
They serve homeowners who live in and rent out one or more units of their home, homeowners who meet specific median household income ranges and homeowners at risk of foreclosure, bankruptcy or having to evict tenants.
The Volunteer Lawyers Project is part of the state-funded COVID Eviction Legal Help Project helping to alleviate that stress with its Landlord Advocacy program.
Those served by VLP are low-income landlords who reside in the properties they rent out, often relying on their tenants’ rent to pay their mortgage. They are often elderly, non-native English speakers and are without ready access to resources.
For free services, household income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty line.
Partnerships with Justice Bridge and Hampden County Legal Clinic may be able to provide low-cost services or other resources to landlords who do not meet the criteria for the free services.
The Landlord Advocacy program also has an active association with the University of Massachusetts School of Law, Justice Bridge Program, Hampden County Legal Clinic, Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys and Legal Squirrel; a virtual platform that partnered with VLP to help them connect with their target population. These key partnerships expanded VLP’s capacity to reach and assist low-income landlords statewide.
More information can be found via the VLP telephone helpline at 857-320-6452 or by emailing Yesenia Carrion at ycarrion@vlpnet.org. The online application can be found online at https://vlplandlord.com.
Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Program helps eligible landlords struggling to collect rent
