Lenox Affordable Housing Trust, Construct partner for COVID-19 emergency rental assistance

Lenox — The Lenox Affordable Housing Trust is partnering with Construct Inc. to provide emergency rental assistance to Lenox tenants and landlords who find themselves financially struggling during the COVID-19 crisis.

The trust is allocating funds received from the local Community Preservation Act surcharge and granted to the trust in previous annual town meetings. Applications will be available in English and Spanish on both entities’ websites beginning Friday, April 10. Applications for May rental assistance will be due Wednesday, April 15. Construct has interpretive services as needed. The initial assistance will be for the month of May. To qualify, tenants must make less than 100% of the area median income and will be required to pay 35% of their income toward their rent. While the trust will provide funds, Construct will administrate the program.

The partnership also ensures that residents will be connected to existing resources as need is demonstrated. The program is in addition to the first-time homebuyer grant program already administered by the trust, which recently increased income limits for homebuyers making up to 100% of the area median income.

For more information, contact Lenox Affordable Housing Trust Chair Marybeth Mitts at mmitts@townoflenox.com or Lenox town planner/land use director Gwen Miller at gmiller@townoflenox.com or (413) 637-5500 x 1203; or

Construct executive director Jane Ralph at jralph@constructberkshire.org or Construct housing director June Wolfe at jwolfe@constructberkshire.org or (413) 429-4340.