Advocates Across the State are Pushing for Eviction Diversion Policies

The Center for Disease Control’s original eviction moratorium ended on July 31, 2021, leaving more tenants across Massachusetts at risk for eviction during an ongoing public health crisis.

As we face new spikes in COVID cases, organizations and municipalities are working overtime to get people rental and mortgage assistance and to fend off evictions and foreclosures before they get to court.

Since the end of the state eviction moratorium in October 2020, over 19,000 new eviction cases have been filed. Homeowners are struggling as well – over 28,000 homeowners in Massachusetts are at grave risk of foreclosure. To prevent eviction filings and foreclosures from escalating unnecessarily, many across the state are joining together to push for additional eviction diversion policies through the COVID-19 Housing Equity bill (H.1434/S.891).

The bill ensures that landlords pursue rental assistance programs before evicting tenants by providing an affidavit that they have worked in good faith to access assistance before filing an eviction case in court. The bill also pauses residential foreclosures and requires mortgage forbearance based on federal policies. Click here for more information about the bill.