Medford residents struggling to pay their rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic can get some short-term relief through a new program Action for Boston Community Development has launched in partnership with the city.
Under the initiative, funded through $250,000 appropriated by Medford from its Community Preservation Act fund, households that have been financially impacted by COVID-19 and earn up to 80 percent of the area median income can apply for rental assistance to ABCD, a regional anti-poverty agency. Area median income for a family of four is currently $96,250.
Approved households will receive assistance for three months, but the aid may be extended if the program receives added funding.
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“ABCD is here to provide crucial rental assistance to help Medford residents get through these dire times,” John J. Drew, the agency’s President/CEO, said in a statement. “Our most vulnerable neighbors are especially affected by the economic meltdown we’re experiencing, which was unthinkable until COVID-19 arrived.”
John Laidler can be reached at laidler@globe.com.