Hopkinton officials are taking applications through Sept. 1 for the town's new COVID-19 Emergency Housing Relief Program, which will cover up to 70% of a household's monthly rent payment or deed-restricted mortgage payment. "To combat this unexpected financial burden, we encourage residents to apply for our COVID-19 Emergency Housing Relief Program that will assist them with their housing costs." In May, Town Meeting voted to approve the use of $90,000 in Community Preservation Act money reserved for community housing to fund the program, joining several municipalities pursuing similar approaches. The Beverly City Council in June 2020 approved the use of $240,000 in CPA funding for an emergency housing assistance program, and Newton used a combination of CPA money and Community Development Block Grant funds for its program. Other cities and towns that approved the use of CPA funds for pandemic-related housing assistance include Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Canton, Chelsea, Easthampton, Malden, Manchester, Medford, Monson, Pittsfield, Rockland, Stoughton, Stow, Sunderland, Waltham, Wellfleet and Weston, according to a Community Preservation Coalition database.

Source: MetroXpress August 17, 2021 11:37 UTC