Somerville Approves Extension Of Eviction Moratorium To June 30

SOMERVILLE, MA — The Somerville Board of Health has unanimously approved a two month extension of its eviction moratorium, which will now expire on June 30.

The eviction moratorium was put in place to support housing stability during the COVID-19 pandemic and prevents physical removal of tenants from their homes. Prior to the extension approval, it was set to expire on April 30.

The Somerville eviction moratorium is the last remaining municipal eviction moratorium in the Commonwealth. A range of alternative supports are available for qualifying households and any Somerville residents facing eviction or housing instability are urged to contact the Office of Housing Stability (OHS).

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne recently announced new municipal housing assistance programs including flex funds and housing vouchers launching soon, and since March 2020, the City has substantially increased housing staff and services to connect residents to federal, state, and local housing aid.

Since March 2020, Somerville tenants and homeowners have received $3,999,873 in rental assistance through OHS assistance. Without this assistance, OHS reports almost all of these households would have been vulnerable to eviction. In total, OHS has provided services to 3,283 households since the start of the pandemic.

This article originally appeared on the Somerville Patch