March 13, 2023
Greetings!
Thank you to everyone who took action last week to extend eviction protections.
As we noted in our last alert, many tenants in Massachusetts facing an eviction currently can get a continuance from the court if they show that they have a pending application for benefits under the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program or another short-term emergency rental assistance program. In addition, the court cannot issue a judgment or an eviction execution before the application is approved or denied.
We worked with Senator Pat Jehlen, advocacy organizations, and tenant rights groups last week to promote an amendment to the pending FY23 supplemental budget that would have extended the protections until July 31, 2024. Unfortunately, Senator Jehlen's amendment, Amendment #12,
was not included in the final Senate version of the supplemental budget, S.24, that was passed on Thursday.
Undaunted, we are continuing our advocacy by asking the Massachusetts Trial Court, Massachusetts Housing Court, and Legislature to take swift action to extend Chapter 257. In collaboration with Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, we are launching an organizational sign-on letter to extend Chapter 257 protections. You can find the letter, details, and sign-on form here: https://tinyurl.com/ch257letter
If you are part of an organization, please sign on today. If you are an individual, please share the link with organizations and groups of which you are a part. The sign-on letter will be open for signatures until at least 5 p.m. this Thursday, March 16th.
Thank you for your partnership and interest. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or feedback.
With gratitude,
Kelly
Kelly Turley
Associate Director
She/her/hers
P.S. Stay up to date with the Coalition’s advocacy initiatives by following us on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. (Links also included at the top of this message.)
