Somerville May Extend Eviction Moratorium Until June 30

SOMERVILLE, MA — The City of Somerville is seeking to extend its eviction moratorium by two months and ultimately sunset the moratorium on June 30.

The eviction moratorium was put in place to support housing stability during the COVID-19 pandemic and prevents physical removal of tenants from their homes. It is currently set to expire April 30, but the proposed extension and sunset date will be considered by the Somerville Board of Health at its April 21 meeting.

The Somerville eviction moratorium is the last remaining municipal eviction moratorium in the Commonwealth. A range of alternative supports are available for qualifying households and any Somerville residents facing eviction or housing instability are urged to contact the Office of Housing Stability (OHS).

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne recently announced new municipal housing assistance programs including flex funds and housing vouchers launching soon, and since March 2020, the City has substantially increased housing staff and services to connect residents to federal, state, and local housing aid.

Since March 2020, Somerville tenants and homeowners have received $3,999,873 in rental assistance through OHS assistance. Without this assistance, OHS reports almost all of these households would have been vulnerable to eviction. In total, OHS has provided services to 3,283 households since the start of the pandemic.

For updates on Somerville’s proposed eviction moratorium extension, click here.