Suggestions For Increasing Safety - Housing Issues

Return to your housing unit. You should tell your landlord about any change in circumstances, i.e. loss of income because abuser is no longer contributing, or loss of income because you can no longer work.
Transfer to another housing unit in your housing project or another public housing project within the city.
Transfer to a subsidized unit in another city. You will need the help of an advocate.
Apply for a Section 8. Make sure that you apply for a domestic violence priority or what is called a "relocation to avoid reprisal priority." You can do this even if you are presently living in public housing.
Apply for a subsidized unit within the same development if your income drops. If you live in private housing in a Mass Housing Finance Agency mixed income development, you can apply for a subsidized unit within that development.
If you are not head of household, you should request that you be made head of household and the abuser be removed from the household.
In all cases, ask the Restraining Order Judge to issue an order forbidding the abuser to interfere with the victim's housing.

Leave your housing unit within the first year of the tenancy. You CANNOT break the lease within the first year of the tenancy without the agreement of the landlord. You should contact the landlord and the local housing authority.
Leave your housing unit after the first year of the tenancy. If you have lived in the unit for over a year, you should contact the local housing authority and ask them for a new certificate or voucher. You must give the landlord a 30 day notice and pay your rent for that month.
Seek shelter at a domestic violence program. You may be eligible for a short-term emergency shelter, while you look for alternative housing. If you are going to be in the shelter and cannot search until you complete counseling or therapy, you should ask the housing authority to suspend your voucher or certificate until you can engage in housing search.
In all cases, make sure that you become the head of household ask the housing authority to take the abuser off the certificate and report changes in income or household composition.
In all cases, ask the Restraining Order Judge to issue an order forbidding the abuser to interfere with the victim's housing.

Apply for Section 8 or public subsidized housing at local housing authorities or private management companies that administer subsidized housing. Waiting lists are very long. You should apply for a "priority." Priorities and ranking differ at each housing authority but many have priorities to which you may be entitled. For example:
- Domestic violence priority. You are or will soon be homeless due to recent or continuing abuse. The abuser must have been a member of your household.
- Relocation to avoid reprisal priority. You must obtain a letter from a law enforcement official stating that you must relocate for your safety.
Apply for state subsidized housing under the Housing Authority Emergency Case Plan. Plans vary. You should be certain to apply as an emergency applicant.
Forms of Proof include: 209A orders, police reports, letters from witnesses, doctors, domestic violence advocates, clergy, local police, landlords, or law enforcement officials. ** These are examples. No one particular form is required.
In all cases, ask the Restraining Order Judge to issue an order forbidding the abuser to interfere with the victim's housing.

Contact Your Local Legal Services Office
Call Greater Boston Legal Services at
800-323-3205 (toll-free)
617-371-1234
TDD 617-371-1228
Fax 617-371-1222