In response to the state eviction moratorium ending on October 17, 2020, Mayor Gary Christenson and the Malden Redevelopment Authority (MRA) have rolled out www.cityofmalden.org/eviction, a resource page for tenants and landlords to help prevent evictions. The City and MRA are also developing a program to provide court-based mediation, legal aid, and rental assistance to Malden residents facing eviction, with the goal of providing assistance to every Malden household facing an eviction in court.
A tenant can only be evicted by a judge following a trial. Landlords cannot evict a tenant before a trial takes place. Resources are available to both tenants and landlords to help prevent eviction. Tenants should be aware that they may be granted some protection under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eviction moratorium, which is in place until December 31, 2020. More information about evictions, the CDC moratorium, and organizations that can help is available online at www.cityofmalden.org/eviction. If you are worried about being evicted, please review the resources on that page, and contact the City’s Human Services Director Karen Colon-Hayes at khayes@cityofmalden.org or 781-397-7144.
Evictions are devastating for individuals, families, and communities. The City and MRA recognize the role of landlords in preventing eviction and have prepared resources for landlords to help prevent eviction and access rental assistance funds. Some landlords may also be eligible for federal subsidies to convert their buildings into affordable housing. For more information about these resources, landlords should visit www.cityofmalden.org/eviction.
The MRA is in the process of procuring housing services providers to provide mediation, legal aid, and rental assistance to Malden households facing an eviction in court. The program would cover both the Northeast Housing Court’s Woburn session, which covers Malden, and Malden District Court. Malden residents receiving an eviction notice (“Notice to Quit”) will be contacted by the housing services provider. For more information on the program’s development, please visit www.cityofmalden.org/eviction.