With the Omicron variant of Covid-19 sparking fears of a pandemic resurgence, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is stepping up its efforts to help more families stay in their homes.

The agency’s Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI) provides mediation and case management services, legal aid, and rental assistance funds to eligible families struggling to avoid evictions.

Eligible tenants can apply for assistance through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which distributes federal funding to help low-income people pay overdue rent and utility bills.

To apply, interested parties can visit mass.gov/eviction-diversion-initiative-get-help. For extra guidance, DHCD operates a toll-free, multilingual phone line Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1-800-474-1822.

“The pandemic has had disproportionate impacts on our most vulnerable communities and neighborhoods across Massachusetts, and we want to remind households in need that help is available,” said Jennifer Maddox, the state’s Undersecretary for Housing and Community Development. “Over the past 12 months, we’ve scaled up our rental assistance program to match the urgency required by this situation. … So, we strongly encourage all tenants that have fallen behind to seek help now.”