BOSTON— The Baker-Polito Administration, MassHousing, CHAPA, and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Organizations (MACDC) announced a five-point Eviction Diversion Pledge, a commitment from Massachusetts property owners and operators to working with tenants facing financial difficulties because of the pandemic and supporting housing stability during the ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19.

As of November 10, 2020, over 53 property owners committed to the Pledge, representing over 57,654 homes across the Commonwealth.

“As the owner of over 18,000 affordable and mixed-income homes, with 9,000 in the Commonwealth, we helped to develop this pledge to demonstrate our commitment to keeping tenants stably housed during this time of uncertainty and to encourage other owners across the state of Massachusetts to join us,” said Dara Kovel, chief executive officer of Beacon Communities. “Housing is a right – not a privilege – and stable, affordable housing is crucial to the health and well-being of our communities.”

The signers of the Massachusetts’ Eviction Diversion Pledge promise to:

1. Abide by and support the current CDC Eviction Moratorium
2. Proactively engage with residents and create payment plans
3. Support and accept rental assistance payments
4. Promote rent adjustments for Section 8/MRVP families
5. Encourage structured and interactive mediation

As of November 10, 2020, the following organizations have signed the Massachusetts’ Eviction Diversion Pledge: Asian CDC, Beacon Communities, Berkshire Housing Development Corporation, Capstone Communities, Caritas Communities, Codman Square NDC, Community Development Partnership, Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, Fenway CDC, First Realty Management, Harborlight Community Partners, Hilltown CDC, Homeowners Rehab, Inc., Housing Management Resources/Home City Housing, Housing Nantucket, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, Jamaica Plain NDC, Just-A-Start Corporation, Lena Park CDC, Lawrence Community Works, Madison Park Development Corporation, Main South CDC, Maloney Properties, Metro West Collaborative Development, Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services, NeighborWorks Housing Solutions, Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, NewVue Communities, North Shore CDC, Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation, OneHolyoke CDC, Peabody Properties, Preservation of Affordable Housing, Somerville Community Development Corporation, Southwest Boston CDC, Spring Meadow Association of Responsible Tenants, Inc., The Community Builders, The Neighborhood Developers, Trinity Financial, Urban Edge, Victory Programs Inc., WATCH CDC, Way Finders, Winn Companies, and Worcester Common Ground. Additional owners and operators continue to and are encouraged to sign the pledge.

“Over the past nine months, we have worked with thousands of our residents across Massachusetts as job and income loss, food insecurity, healthcare access, social isolation, school and childcare closures and rising expenses have plagued our communities during this public health crisis,” the pledge reads. “Compassion for the residents who call our communities home is a principle of each of our organizations and as such, we believe it is vital to take a leadership role in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the entire article as it originally appeared in Boston Real Estate Times here.