Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance Now Available

Today, households facing difficulty making housing payments may apply to access a new $20 million, statewide rent and mortgage assistance fund. The Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) program will provide direct funding to eligible households who have suffered financial hardship during the State of Emergency put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19. ERMA will…

DESE Releases Initial School Reopening Guidance

Today, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released initial guidance for school reopening this fall that prioritizes getting students safely back to school in person, following a comprehensive set of health and safety requirements. The Department is also requiring schools to create hybrid learning plans to teach students in-person and remotely on alternating schedules, and…

Phase II Begins

Phase II of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan begins today, as announced by Governor Baker this weekend. Businesses and sectors set to begin opening in Phase II are subject to compliance with all mandatory safety standards. On May 18, the Reopening Advisory Board released a four-phased plan to reopen the economy based on public health data,…

“We are in the Surge”

“We are in the surge.” That was what Governor Baker said at his press conference on Wednesday. The “surge” refers to the influx that is expected to put health care workers and emergency medical providers under tremendous stress as those diagnosed with COVID-19 seek treatment. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been expecting this surge in…

CARES Act Unemployment Benefits Implementation

Today, Governor Baker announced details for the initial implementation of federal unemployment benefits in the CARES Act, the federal based COVID-19 relief package. This federal program, enacted on March 27, 2020, will be administered by states. Today’s announcement reflects the first set of partial guidance that Massachusetts will immediately implement to support unemployed workers. The…