Trust seeks to streamline rental-assistance intake after eight initial RAP applications

Trust staff told members Jan. 10 that eight applications have been submitted to MetroWest Community Development for the Trust’s rental-assistance (RAP) pilot and that one case has already been completed. Trustees said the MetroWest template requires more documentation than the Trust’s original design and agreed Alan would draft a memo requesting streamlined documentation to reduce back-and-forth for referring agencies.

Trustees and staff described specific examples: the MetroWest intake was collecting Social Security numbers for all household members and asset information that the Trust does not require. Trustees agreed to retain income eligibility and HUD-defined burden-rate checks, but to remove unnecessary asset requests and to avoid requiring notarized affidavits for adults with no income or bank accounts.

A working-group approach was proposed: referring agencies (youth and family services, senior center and nonprofits) could witness a self-certification form instead of requiring notarization, and one trustee volunteered to serve as a notary when needed. Trustees also discussed outreach materials (QR code routing to the RAP webpage) and translation of flyers; staff will provide an editable Publisher/PDF file for translation and prioritized Spanish localization.

The Trust noted the RAP was established as a one-year pilot with $150,000 set aside for the fiscal year; trustees agreed to monitor drawdown and report quarterly. The Trust also authorized staff volunteers to prepare a TD Bank Charitable Foundation grant application (deadline Jan. 17) to extend funding through FY26.