The homeless population in America can be a reminder of how quickly life can be turned around. I work in the mental health field and provide resources to people in need, whether it be financial or mental health support. The world is going through a crisis, my services have never been needed more. I work with individuals who are struggling with a mental illness which can lead to a lack of stable housing. The thing that they have in common is a lack of access to information. In the face of COVID-19, it has been a shock to see how disconnected folks are to the many resources around them, for instance, housing assistance. Throughout Massachusetts, there are agencies that provide support to those in need.

The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is an agency that helps low-income families and individuals meet their basic needs, improve the quality of their life and maintain financial stability. The DTA office is home to the Emergency Assistance Program (EA). The Emergency Assistance Program provides emergency shelter and rehousing to homeless families and children.

To apply you simply have to go to your local DTA office, where you can request an application. DTA offices can be found in Greenfield, Holyoke, Fitchburg, Framingham, Chelsea, Dudley, Brockton, and Fall River. You will need to provide information pertaining to your family size and income also includes any property you own. The DTA will give approval or denial within 7 days.

To qualify, for the EA program you have to meet the following specifications

• Pregnant or have a child under 21 yrs old
• Have an income lower that is lower than your area income limit based on family size, Property owned cannot exceed $2500
• Be unable to stay with any friends or family or your current home is too crowded or unsafe (victim of abuse, flooding, structural damage)
• CANNOT have been evicted from in your past from criminal charges or not paying rent in public housing, section 8 or other supportive programs

Additional proof: Even though you may not qualify under these basic requirements, there are additional ways to qualify for assistance. If you lost your home through:

• A natural disaster or Fire
• Had a threat to your health and safety or you apartment has any sanitary code violations (no water, lead paint, overflowing sewage)
• Sever abusive situations of Medical conditions

These additional qualifications need adequate proof that the incident occurred to ensure the validity of claims.

We are all in this together. As a company that serves the community, we are always happy to provide information that benefits our neighbors whether they are housed or not.

Below are our sources and some housing resources that could be beneficial

Mass Gov EA: https://www.masslegalhelp.org/homelessness/basic-shelter-rights

RCAP Solutions: https://www.rcapsolutions.org/