January 1, 2021

Regional Notebook: Jan. 1, 2021

BY Greenfield Recorter

With $5K, Habitat for Humanity to provide mortgage relief

FLORENCE — With the $5,000 awarded to it from the financial services organization Thrivent, Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity will provide mortgage relief to Habitat homeowners who need temporary assistance making their mortgage payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With Thrivent’s support, Habitat for Humanity will sustain affordable homeownership costs for three or four families in Franklin and Hampshire counties.

“We are thrilled to get this extra support for our Habitat homeowners facing difficult times due to COVID-19,” Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Megan McDonough said in a press release. “The stability of homeownership is vital to the health of individual families and our community as a whole.”

Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity is one of 100 local Habitat organizations across the nation partnering with Thrivent to help families stay in their homes, the release states. In all, Thrivent is donating $750,000 to Habitat for Humanity to assist with mortgage-related relief and prevent foreclosures.

“This year has been incredibly difficult for many people as financial hardship has added stress and anxiety to daily lives,” said Nikki Sorum, senior vice president of Thrivent Advisors at Thrivent. “This pandemic has underscored how important it is for people to have safe, affordable homes. Given all we have endured in 2020, we are especially honored to provide financial support to Habitat for Humanity to help people stay in their homes so they can continue to build toward financial stability.”

Community Legal Aid launching eviction help project

WORCESTER — Community Legal Aid has received funding to launch a new COVID-19 Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP) to provide legal assistance in pandemic-related eviction cases.

The COVID-19 Eviction Legal Help Project is part of a statewide deployment of legal services, community agencies and the private bar to combat the rise of evictions resulting from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Community Legal Aid press release states. The project is funded by the Baker-Polito Administration’s Eviction Diversion Initiative.

Community Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents in the five counties of Central and Western Massachusetts. With this project, Community Legal Aid will hire a team of attorneys, paralegals, case managers and support staff to provide legal assistance to income-eligible tenants facing eviction and homelessness in the wake of the expiration of the state’s eviction and foreclosure moratorium on Oct. 17.

“The CELHP funding allows Community Legal Aid to increase our existing eviction defense resources and add critical case manager positions, all of which will allow us to help tenants who are facing eviction and homelessness during the pandemic,” said Jennifer Dieringer, managing attorney of the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin county offices of Community Legal Aid.

According to the release, legal assistance through the COVID-19 Eviction Legal Help Project is being offered to tenants who live in households with income up to 200 percent of the poverty level (for 2020, $4,367 a month for a family of four). Attorneys will provide a variety of essential services including representation of tenants during mediation and in court. Attorneys are also staffing Newly-hired intake paralegals and support staff are the first point of contact for tenants seeking help.

In addition, case managers will work with tenants to help them apply for and access augmented benefits offered by the state as part of the Eviction Diversion Initiative, such as the increased benefits available under the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program, the release states. RAFT can be used for a variety of needs, including rent or mortgage arrears, security deposits, or other expenses to help a tenant preserve current housing or move to new housing.

Residents of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester counties who would like to apply for assistance should visit communitylegal.org/get-help or call 1-855-252-5342.

New fund to support farm workers

SPRINGFIELD — The Central West Justice Center (CWJC), an affiliate of Community Legal Aid, is supporting farm workers across the state through the newly created Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers COVID-19 Pandemic Housing Relief Fund.

A collaboration of Justice for Migrant Women and Hispanics in Philanthropy, the fund aims to assist farm workers who are experiencing financial hardship and are at risk of homelessness or housing instability, according to a Central West Justice Center press release.

The fund is open to farm workers who live in Massachusetts and work in agriculture in Massachusetts and neighboring states. The fund can help pay for rent, utility bills (such as gas, electric or water), or moving costs.

Massachusetts is home to approximately 20,000 farm workers, many of whom are migrant and seasonal workers, the release states. During this year’s farming season, farm workers were particularly vulnerable and exposed to the transmission of COVID-19, as it is inherently difficult for them to socially distance due to the nature of their work. In addition, the usual off-season jobs that have previously been available to migrant and seasonal farm workers (such as restaurant or hospitality work) may not be available because of the pandemic.

The Central West Justice Center is a nonprofit that provides legal services to low-income people in Central and Western Massachusetts. According to the release, its Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Project is the only statewide project that provides advocacy to farm workers on legal matters relating to immigration, labor and employment, housing, benefits and family law.

For more information on how to apply for relief from the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers COVID-19 Pandemic Housing Relief Fund, visit cwjustice.org.

RMV hours for seniors to continue through January

GREENFIELD — The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is continuing to offer dedicated Wednesday service hours for customers who are 75 years old or older into the month of January at 17 locations, including the Greenfield office at 18 Miner St. Individuals in this age group are required by state law to renew their driver’s license in person.

The designated service hours started Sept. 2 to offer an option to seniors that would accommodate social distancing protocols in the RMV locations, according to a Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) press release.

Below are the options for seniors to renew a driver’s license, by appointment:

■If you are a AAA member, you may make a reservation now to renew your driver’s license/ID at a AAA location. Visit aaa.com/appointments to schedule your visit.

■If you are not a AAA member, visit Mass.Gov/RMV to make a reservation to renew at an RMV Service Center. Select the Seniors License Renewal option on the Make/Cancel a Reservation transaction tab.

■Email the RMV for assistance to renew: MassDOTRMVSeniors@dot.state.ma.us

■Call the RMV at 857-368-8005.