Diocesan Resources
CCHD Newsletter Helping People Help Themselves Issue 21.2 (2021)
CCHD Newsletter Helping People Help Themselves Issue 21.2
CCHD Provides Grants to Fund a Massachusetts Eviction Moratorium by Beth Griffin
This issue focuses on how two Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)-funded Massachusetts organizations helped secure and implement a statewide eviction and foreclosure moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting vulnerable renters and homeowners from losing housing during a period of severe economic disruption.
Before the pandemic, Massachusetts already faced rising housing costs, gentrification, and shortages of affordable housing. When COVID-19 caused widespread job losses, many families suddenly found themselves unable to pay rent or mortgages and at risk of eviction or foreclosure.
Two CCHD-funded groups—Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) and Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)—joined broader coalitions to advocate successfully for a statewide eviction and foreclosure moratorium enacted in April 2020 and later extended through October 2020.
- Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO)
GBIO shifted quickly from traditional in-person organizing to virtual outreach. Through phone calls, online listening sessions, and Zoom meetings, leaders learned that housing insecurity was one of their members' greatest concerns after job loss and health care. The organization:
- Organized clergy meetings with Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.
- Conducted advocacy efforts with legislators.
- Trained members virtually.
- Mobilized support for housing protections.
Leaders emphasized that GBIO's effectiveness came from strong preexisting relationships and community trust.
2. Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)
MCAN helped lead advocacy for the moratorium and later focused on educating tenants about changing state, federal, and local housing protections. The organization raised broader concerns about:
- Rising rents.
- Loss of affordable housing.
- Gentrification.
- Reduced opportunities for homeownership among working-class families.
MCAN leaders described CCHD-supported community organizing as a practical expression of Catholic social teaching because it helps residents work collectively to change unjust systems.
United Interfaith Action (UIA), an MCAN affiliate serving southeastern Massachusetts, provided direct support to families facing housing crises, including:
- Emergency rent assistance.
- Mutual aid fundraising.
- Food support.
- Connections to social-service agencies.
- Advocacy on behalf of tenants facing illegal or improper eviction attempts.
The newsletter highlights several examples of undocumented families who lost income during the pandemic and faced intimidation from landlords despite legal protections. UIA helped some families remain in their homes and assisted others in finding safer housing.
The newsletter presents the Massachusetts eviction moratorium campaign as an example of successful faith-based community organizing. By listening to affected residents, mobilizing community networks, and advocating for policy change, CCHD-funded organizations helped protect vulnerable families during the pandemic while promoting housing stability, human dignity, and social justice.