Massachusetts Landlords And Tenants Are At Odds — But Agree On Need For Massive Infusion Of Cash For Rent

Carolina, with her four-month old daughter at her apartment in East Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Carolina lives in East Boston with her husband and four kids — her newest child was born at the start of the pandemic in March. The couple lost their cleaning jobs shortly after their baby’s birth, and the family has almost no income. Because Carolina and her husband are undocumented immigrants, the family can’t get the kind of federal benefits that have helped others in the state keep up with their rent.

We’ve agreed to use only Carolina’s first name because she and her family fear legal repercussions due to the couple’s immigration status.

“As a mother, I am very concerned about not having money to pay the rent,” she says, looking worried as she sits on a couch in her living room. “My kids have watched me crying, and they’ve asked if we’ll have to live on the street.”

Now the family owes $6,000 for three months in back rent, and their landlord has threatened to take legal action.

Read the rest of this story at WBUR’s website.