The City of Everett will stop taking applications for its rental and mortgage assistance programs on Tuesday, November 25, the city said in a notice posted Wednesday. Applications that are not complete by then will not be accepted, and awards are subject to the money that is left.
The programs are paid for with the city’s federal American Rescue Plan Act money, which must be spent by December 31. Chief Development Officer Monica Lamboy told a City Council committee on October 26 that the rental program had paid out more than $1.44 million so far, and that the money a nonprofit was originally recommended to run it, $448,442 for ABCD, was pulled back and added to the city’s own program instead. The program is run out of the Planning and Development office at 484 Broadway.
Who can apply, and who cannot
The question of who qualifies came up under the city’s own Facebook post. Stephanie Santos-Baez, who said she works at the Everett Housing Authority, asked whether tenants in low-income housing could apply, because public housing tenants had been turned away earlier in the year and she wanted to give applicants accurate information.
The city answered Thursday. “In accordance with the program guidelines and federal grant requirements, residents who are currently receiving federal or state rental subsidies, such as Section 8 or the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), are not eligible for this rental assistance,” it wrote. “Please note that this exclusion is not a decision made by the City of Everett; it is a requirement established by the federal funding guidelines governing this grant.”
The exclusion is on page 3 of the program guidelines, which also shut out anyone who got help from the city’s earlier Everett Matters Covid Aid program within the past six months and anyone with more than $40,000 in liquid assets, meaning bank, brokerage and money market accounts but not retirement or 529 accounts. To qualify, an applicant must be a current Everett resident with a lease in their name, a household income at or below 65 percent of the area median, and a government photo ID. Payments go to the landlord, not the tenant, and the landlord has to sign an agreement, supply a W-9 and show within 30 days that the money was applied to the rent. The guidelines say applications can also be rejected for poor landlord references.
Questions on the rental program go to Everett-RentalAssistance@ci.everett.ma.us and on the mortgage program to Everett-MortgageAssistance@ci.everett.ma.us. The application packet is on the city website.
Holiday assistance through November 19
Separately, the Office of Human Services is taking applications for the city’s annual Holiday Assistance Program through Thursday, November 19, at the Connolly Center, 90 Chelsea Street. The hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 4 to 6 p.m. Applications are taken in person only.
Qualifying low-income residents can get grocery store gift cards toward a Thanksgiving meal, first come, first served while supplies last. Depending on donations, the program may also provide toys for children 13 and younger at Christmas. Income eligibility is based on the 2026 MassHealth income standards. Applicants need proof of Everett residency, proof of household income and, for toy requests, birth certificates for each child.
“We know many families are facing financial challenges, especially with the rising cost of everyday necessities,” Mayor Robert Van Campen said in the city’s announcement. “This program is one way we can help ease that burden and make the holiday season a little brighter for our neighbors.”
The Office of Human Services can be reached at 617-394-2260 or 617-394-2323. The city’s announcement is here.
For a look at where the rest of the city’s ARPA money went, including the nonprofit awards and the rental program, see our November 6 story.
