Housing Help and Resources

If you are in need of affordable or emergency housing in the Greater Boston area,
this list of resources can help you locate the assistance you need.

Housing Counseling

If you have received a notice to quit, your landlord plans to sell your building, or you are at risk of losing your home, these resources may also be useful to you:

• Self-guided eviction help from Greater Boston Legal Services

• Understand what a landlord must do to evict you

• Know your rights as a tenant

You can also call South Boston NDC at 617-268-9610 to discuss your situation and learn more about your rights and your options.

If you were threatened with eviction

In Massachusetts, tenants can only be evicted with a court order.

In Massachusetts, it is illegal for a landlord, on his or her own, to remove tenants and occupants and their belongings from a rented apartment, room, or home without first getting a court order. The court case that a landlord files to get a court order is called summary process (the legal term for an eviction). The court order that allows a landlord to evict a tenant is called an execution. Even after a landlord gets an execution, only a sheriff or constable can move a tenant and his or her belongings out of the property. Mass.gov

• If you have received a Notice to Quit, were told that your landlord plans to sell your building, or you are at risk of losing your home for other reasons, you do not have to leave. These resources may also be useful to you:

  • Self-guided eviction help from Greater Boston Legal Services

  • Understand what a landlord must do to evict you

  • Know your rights as a tenant

If you cannot pay your rent, mortgage, or utility bills

• Emergency Housing Assistance: Call 2-1-1 from any phone or visit www.mass.gov/Covid-19-getting-help-with-housing-costs for information about emergency housing help from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

• Click here for a list of relief and assistance programs.

If you are searching for affordable housing

• Subscribe to Metrolist, a newsletter for income-restricted and affordable housing opportunities in Boston and neighboring communities

• Visit local housing authority websites or download a list of local housing authorities and contact information

• Apply online to the Massachusetts Centralized Section 8 Voucher Waiting List or print an application and submit by fax or mail

• Review the Guide to Obtaining Housing Assistance for more information about specific programs and eligibility

• Apply for a single occupancy room through Caritas Communities (for single adults only)

If you are a senior looking for affordable housing

• Reference this printable list of affordable senior housing in South Boston

If you are in need of emergency housing or experiencing homelessness

• Master list of Emergency Shelter, Day Programs, Community Meals and Street Outreach for People Experiencing Homelessness in Boston (en español)

• Information for tenants displaced by fire

• Emergency Housing Assistance programs for Massachusetts residents

• List of shelters for people experiencing homelessness (printable)

• Short-term financial assistance for families experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless