Affordable Housing in Boston, MA

This page collects the specific programs, agencies, phone numbers, and rules that apply in Boston and the surrounding metro — not generic Section 8 advice. Two things stand out for Boston: Massachusetts has statewide source-of-income protection (it is illegal for a landlord to refuse your Section 8 voucher), and the RAFT program pays up to $7,000 per year AND pauses eviction proceedings while your application is pending. The named resources below are where to start.

Emergency Help Tonight in Boston

If you need a safe place to sleep tonight or are facing an imminent eviction, these are the local resources to contact first:

• Pine Street Inn — Boston's largest provider of emergency shelter, day services, and supportive housing. Multiple shelter locations across the city. pinestreetinn.org
• Rosie's Place — founded in 1974 as the first women's shelter in the U.S. Emergency shelter, food pantry, and advocacy. rosiesplace.org
• St. Francis House — downtown day shelter offering meals, showers, clothing, mail, and clinical services. stfrancishouse.org
• Family Aid Boston — emergency shelter and stabilization specifically for families with children
• Casa Myrna — Boston's largest domestic violence shelter and SafeLink Statewide Hotline: 1-877-785-2020. Bilingual advocates
• Bridge Over Troubled Waters — emergency shelter and services for youth and young adults (14–24)
• DHCD Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter — state shelter program for eligible families with children. Under a 2024 law, families have a 9-month limit to transition out of EA shelter. Apply through the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
• Boston Public Health Commission Homeless Services — operates city-funded shelters including Woods-Mullen and Southampton Street
• Mass 211 — free 24/7 information line for shelters, food, financial assistance, and social services. Multilingual

For a full walkthrough of finding shelter the first night, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

Section 8 in Boston: BHA Status and How to Apply

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Boston are administered by the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), plus a separate statewide voucher program through the state Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities (EOHLC). Current status (May 2026):

• The BHA HCV waitlist had a one-day opening on February 20, 2026 via lottery — closed the same day. There is no current opening as of May 2026. Watch boston.myhousing.com for the next announcement
• The EOHLC HCVP/Section 8 mobile voucher waitlist is also closed — closed January 13, 2025 statewide with no current reopening
• Average wait once on the list: approximately 28 months in Boston, but some applicants wait over 10 years. The wait reflects high demand and limited supply
• Public Housing through BHA — a separate program with its own waitlist; some BHA development-specific lists may be open
• Project-Based Voucher (PBV) lists at specific Boston properties may be open even when the general HCV list is closed. Apply property-by-property
• Other special programs: Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), HUD-VASH for veterans, Mainstream vouchers for non-elderly people with disabilities, MRVP (state Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program) — separate referral processes
• Apply to neighboring authorities too: Cambridge Housing Authority, Somerville Housing Authority, Quincy Housing Authority, Brookline Housing Authority, and dozens of others in Greater Boston run separate lists
• Status check: call BHA at 617-988-3400 or visit in person at 56 Chauncy St, Boston, MA 02111 if you've already applied

For the national application process, see our step-by-step Section 8 guide and how to find your PHA.

Emergency Rental Assistance in Boston (Named Programs)

If you're behind on rent or can't pay this month, these are the local programs currently operating in Boston. Funding shifts month to month — always call to confirm current availability:

• RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) — Massachusetts's flagship rental assistance program. Up to $7,000 per 12-month period for rent, utilities, moving costs, mortgage, or other housing emergencies. Open year-round to households at risk of eviction or homelessness with incomes typically below 50%–80% AMI. Apply at mass.gov/raft
• Metro Housing Boston — administers RAFT for Greater Boston, plus HCEC (Housing Consumer Education Center) services and HomeBASE. Call 617-425-6700. metrohousingboston.org
• HomeBASE — diversion from EA shelter for eligible families. Provides up to 24 months of help with rent and stabilization to keep families housed. Apply through DTA/Metro Housing Boston
• City of Boston Office of Housing Stability — runs virtual legal clinics for tenants and small landlords; eviction defense information and assistance; multilingual intake. boston.gov/departments/housing-stability
• Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) — free legal help for low-income tenants in eviction. gbls.org
• Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) — additional free legal representation for housing cases
• Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) — community action agency; emergency financial assistance, fuel assistance, food, and case management. bostonabcd.org
• Catholic Charities of Boston — emergency financial assistance, food, immigration legal services, refugee resettlement. Spanish, Haitian Creole, and other language services
• St. Vincent de Paul Society of Boston — one-time emergency rental and utility help through local parish conferences
• Salvation Army Massachusetts Division — eviction prevention and utility assistance at corps across Greater Boston

Federal pandemic ERA has ended

The federal pandemic Emergency Rental Assistance Program that distributed funds through Massachusetts has closed. RAFT continues as the main ongoing state program. Don't waste time on old 2021–2023 application portals.

Utility assistance: LIHEAP / Fuel Assistance

Massachusetts's LIHEAP is called Fuel Assistance and is administered by community action agencies. In Boston, ABCD administers Fuel Assistance. Heating season typically runs November through April. Cooling assistance is available in summer. Apply through ABCD or mass.gov.

Tenant Rights in Boston & Massachusetts

Massachusetts has some of the strongest tenant protections in the country. Boston tenants benefit from both state law and additional city resources:

• Source-of-income protection is the law statewide: Under M.G.L. c. 151B § 4(10), it is illegal in Massachusetts for a landlord to refuse a Section 8 voucher, MRVP, or other government rental subsidy. If a Boston landlord tells you they "don't take Section 8," that's a Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) violation. File at mass.gov/mcad
• RAFT pause on eviction: Housing Courts in Massachusetts pause eviction proceedings for nonpayment when a tenant has a pending RAFT application. This is a powerful protection — apply for RAFT immediately if you face eviction, even if you're not sure you'll qualify, because the pending application itself stays the case
• 14-day notice to quit for nonpayment with a 14-day right to cure (M.G.L. c. 186 § 11/12). If this is the first nonpayment in 12 months, the tenant can pay the back rent before the move-out date to cancel the eviction
• Notice to end tenancy-at-will: one full rental period (typically 30 days) from either party
• Security deposit cap: Massachusetts limits the deposit to 1 month's rent. Plus first month, last month, and lock-fee at most. Deposits must be held in a separate interest-bearing account, with annual interest paid to the tenant (M.G.L. c. 186 § 15B). Return within 30 days with itemized deductions
• Warranty of habitability: the State Sanitary Code, Massachusetts case law (Boston Housing Authority v. Hemingway), and M.G.L. c. 239 § 8A all give tenants strong habitability rights, including rent withholding in limited circumstances after written notice. Boston Inspectional Services Department handles code complaints
• Retaliatory eviction is illegal under M.G.L. c. 186 § 18 — the law presumes retaliation if the eviction follows within 6 months of a tenant complaint to officials or a tenant organizing
• Self-help eviction is illegal: M.G.L. c. 184 § 18 prohibits lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removing belongings, with treble damages plus attorneys' fees for violations
• Eviction sealing (Chapter 358 of 2024): Massachusetts now allows certain eviction records to be sealed (especially nonpayment cases where the tenant paid). This can protect future rental searches. Ask GBLS or VLP about petitioning to seal
• Fair housing: Massachusetts protects more classes than federal law — including source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, ancestry, military service, and lead-paint child status. M.G.L. c. 151B is the core anti-discrimination statute

For free legal help: Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), Volunteer Lawyers Project, and the Boston Office of Housing Stability legal clinics. For state-level details, see our Massachusetts housing resources. If you experience discrimination, see how to file a housing discrimination complaint.

Other Housing Programs in Boston

• Public housing: BHA owns approximately 27,000 units of public housing — more than most U.S. cities. Application is separate from Section 8; check status at boston.myhousing.com
• MRVP (Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program) — state-funded voucher program separate from federal Section 8. Same source-of-income protections apply. Administered by EOHLC
• LIHTC (Tax Credit): Boston has substantial LIHTC inventory, much of it through inclusionary development. Search HUD's LIHTC database for properties in Suffolk County. See how to find LIHTC housing
• Boston Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) — new market-rate developments must include affordable units. Income-restricted IDP units are listed at boston.gov
• HUD-VASH (veterans): combines a voucher with VA case management. Boston-area veterans are referred through the VA Boston Healthcare System. See how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Rapid Rehousing & Permanent Supportive Housing — coordinated through the Boston Continuum of Care. Access via Mass 211
• HomeStart and HomeWorks — Boston-area rapid rehousing partners for chronically homeless individuals and families
• HUD-approved housing counseling: find a counselor through the HUD counselor locator — ESAC (Ecumenical Social Action Committee) and Allston-Brighton CDC cover Boston

Next Steps

Not sure which program is right for you? Our Where to Start tool asks a few quick questions about your situation — emergency vs. long-term, family vs. individual, employed vs. on benefits — and routes you to the right combination of programs. It takes about two minutes.

If you're behind on rent, apply to RAFT immediately at mass.gov/raft — your application alone pauses eviction proceedings while it's reviewed. If a landlord told you they "don't take Section 8," file an MCAD complaint — that refusal is illegal in Massachusetts.