An Act relative to summary process and rental assistance

This bill modifies Massachusetts eviction laws to create a two-step process for all housing court cases and pause evictions when tenants are seeking rental aid. Under the new rules, every case must first attend a mediation session to explore options before a trial date is set, and no default judgments or evictions can occur if a tenant has an active application for financial help. The legislation directly affects landlords, tenants, and courts by requiring judges to grant delays in eviction proceedings whenever a rental assistance request is pending. These changes aim to ensure tenants have time to secure funding before facing removal from their homes.