FITCHBURG — The city has partnered with Making Opportunity Count, Inc. to provide rental and utility assistance for income-qualified residents who have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tricia Pistone, MOC senior vice president, said the organization launched the assistance program last week and is looking to help as many residents as possible.
“We’ll be able to fill a gap for utility and housing assistance,” Pistone said. “There are some limitations, but our goal is to provide the necessary resources to stabilize that household.”
Pistone said MOC will work with families to understand their situation and their needs. On top of the benefits from this program, the organization will refer residents to other assistance programs in the region.
“We want to be sure families are accessing all of the different resources available to them,” she said.
According to the federal Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Massachusetts had the highest unemployment rate in the country in June.
The program will be funded through the city’s Community Development Block Grant program, which received a boost from the federal CARES Act.
The total funding for rental, mortgage, and utility assistance is $230,000. It is unclear at this time how much will be used in the MOC partnership.
Housing and Development Director Liz Murphy estimated the average rent for one housing unit is about $1,000 per month, and she hopes to provide assistance for 230 units for one month or about 76 households for three months.
Murphy said the payment of those funds would go directly to the landlord, utility, or mortgage companies and not to tenants.
To qualify for this type of assistance, residents would need to make less than 80% of the median income for the area — which is roughly $70,000 for a family of four.
The funds would also need to go toward payments due following March 27, not prior.
MOC has historically led several housing initiatives, including a partnership with United Way of North Central Mass. that recently ended.
That program, now concluded, used funds to address housing and utility deficits for about 150 residents in the region.
Those who are in need of assistance should contact the Family Resource Center at 978-829-0163. Applicants will need to provide documentation of household income.
Pistone expects an increase in the number of residents who are in need of assistance as the fall months approach, particularly once the state’s current moratorium on evictions expires.
“Too many families are going to be at risk of evictions,” she said. “We’re going to really see a demand increase as we’re going into August and the fall.”
Most evictions and foreclosure will remain banned in the state until Oct. 17 under an extension to the COVID-prompted moratorium Gov. Charlie Baker triggered on Tuesday.
Baker’s action will add another 60 days to a temporary ban that was set to expire on Aug. 18, a step that the governor said will help keep many vulnerable families in secure housing while the state continues its gradual progress to revive public activity.
However, there is also bill making its way at the Statehouse that aims to prevent any potential housing removals for the next year.
The legislation would impose a moratorium on evictions and moratoriums for failure to pay until one year after Gov. Charlie Baker lifts the public health emergency he declared amid the pandemic. It would also freeze rents for the same duration at their pre-outbreak levels.
To assist property owners and landlords with 15 or fewer units, the bill would also create a state fund that would offer aid to those who were unable to pay housing costs due to the pandemic.
Pistone said the bill would go a long way to supporting residents in the area, especially considering the federal unemployment insurance is set to end this month.
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