By Seth Daniel
According to a report released this month by Metro Housing Boston, their transition assistance program served 70 families in Chelsea during a housing crisis, distributing $190,623 in the community.
Chelsea stood out as the community outside Boston where RAFT was most heavily utilized. Malden followed as the next highest with 47 families receiving assistance.
The Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program offers families in crisis a cash assistance option as an alternative to emergency shelter placement. Metro Housing Boston manages RAFT across Boston and 28 surrounding communities. Through the program, eligible families may receive up to $4,000 to address housing retention, secure new housing, maintain utility services, and prevent homelessness. Eligibility requires that family income not exceed 50 percent of the area median income—$46,550 for a family of three in the 2017 Boston region.
“Many families are living paycheck to paycheck,” red the report. “An unplanned expense can put their housing in jeopardy. RAFT provides a safety net for families to have something to fall back on when they are in crisis and need support.”
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Metro Housing Boston has released program data. The initiative receives funding from the state Department of Housing and Community Development. Officials emphasized that with Boston ranking among the nation’s five most expensive cities, such resources prove vital for low-income families facing unexpected crises like fires or emergencies they cannot budget for.
“For four years running, our reports continue to show the positive impacts of the RAFT program,” said Metro Housing Executive Director Christopher Norris. “For a relatively small investment, families in our region are able to stay in their communities near their children’s schools, their health providers, and their social networks. This is crucial to helping families maintain stability and achieve economic security.”
Statewide, the program prevented approximately 1,000 families from entering shelters—a figure representing an estimated $31 million in savings on emergency shelter costs. The $3.8 million in RAFT funding enabled 1,474 families to resolve their housing crises.
State funding commitments have allowed RAFT to assist 60 percent more families than four years prior. The average benefit per client declined slightly by 3 percent this year to $2,614.
A pilot program during FY17 expanded RAFT eligibility to encompass families of all sizes and household configurations. Metro Housing served 60 households under this expansion, including 31 individuals and 27 households headed by someone with a disability.
Among RAFT recipients, 48 percent applied funds toward overdue rent payments. Security deposits for new apartments accounted for 20 percent of usage, while 11 percent went toward first and last month’s rent on new housing.