Housing Clinic

8/7/23: WATCH is currently at capacity at the Housing Clinic for new cases. If you would like to be a new client, please expect a phone call within 14-21 business days. If you have a case with us that has been active for at least 14 business days, please allow your case manager to respond within 3 business days. We appreciate your cooperation and patience.

The Housing Clinic is working remotely. Spanish translation is available.

Clinic staff are well-versed in a wide range of issues. Learn about all the things trained case managers and advocates can assist you with.

Need Assistance?

  1. If you're new to WATCH, live in Waltham, and need help, please fill out this intake form or call 781-512-8050. Not sure if you've received help from WATCH before? Contact someone from the Housing Department to find out.
  2. If you're a current client and need assistance please fill out this intake form.

Housing Clinic Staff: 

Sarah Al-Sheraidi
Housing Clinic Coordinator
sarah@watchcdc.org

Karla Ortega
Case Manager
karla@watchcdc.org

Daisy Brevner
Case Manager
daisy@watchcdc.org

What the Housing Clinic does:

WATCH provides free 1:1 case management for low-income households in Waltham to address urgent housing and basic needs.

What do our case managers do?

  • Identify the needs of the client at the present time and their goals
  • Ask for information that is needed to assist the client meet their goals. 
  • Come up with a plan of action to address the client’s needs

Partnership - WATCH is focused on empowerment and we consider our case management work to be a partnership between the clients and their case managers.  WATCH will actively listen to the clients concerns and work with the client to make an action plan to address the clients needs.  WATCH will ask for information that is needed to assist the client meet their goals. WATCH assists the client by educating the client on the resources available in the event of an eviction and provides support in this avenue through rental arrears applications, housing search links, housing search education, and housing search workshops. 

Share information 

  • Educate the client on the resources available in an eviction or landlord dispute
  • Provide information on rental arrears resources and housing search education 
  • Provide information on how to apply for:
    • State public assistance:
      • SNAP, EAEDC, TANFDC & WIC
    • Fuel Assistance
    • RAFT
    • City of Waltham Rental Assistance and Security Deposit Program
    • RAFT Security Deposit Program
    • Safelink
    • Internet Essentials
    • Public Housing

Education - Housing Clinic staff will also educate the clientele of these resources in person or virtually through Zoom through Housing Clinic drop-in classes and/or established appointments with the clients’ case manager.

  • Provide Housing Clinic Workshops covering:
    • Housing search
    • Rental assistance
    • Moving assistance
    • Public housing
    • Mobile vouchers
    • Tenant rights and legal resources
  • For clients who are illiterate or not computer literate, we provide assistance filling out rental assistance applications

Advocacy - WATCH Housing Clinic staff will advocate for the clients’ tenant rights in the event the tenant is living in an unsafe and/or overcrowded dwelling. WATCH will advocate on behalf of the client with landlord and tenant disagreements. WATCH will advocate on the behalf of our homeless clients to gain temporary shelter through local family shelters. 

  • Advocate directly on a case-by-case basis: 
    • for clients who are Illiterate or Disabled
    • Clients managing a disagreement with their landlord

All other concerns unrelated to housing are addressed through referrals to our partners. 

Connection to Community Resources - WATCH Housing Clinic meets clients in crises and connects them to local partners and resources to get them the resources the client needs to acquire sustainability. Housing Clinic staff educate clientele of local community resources by sharing contact information and website links of community partners with clientele. Housing Clinic case managers will make referrals to community partners via email, online intake forms, and phone calls on behalf of clientele when appropriate. 

Referrals for community resources on:

  • living with disabilities
  • housing-related legal assistance
  • Immigration assistance
  • Housing search
  • Medical transportation
  • Health insurance
  • Mental health
  • Child care 
  • Clothing 
  • Furniture and household items
  • WATCH English Classes, GED classes, 1st Home Buyer, Job Clinic.
  • Community-based religious, civic, and elder resources, such as Africano, JFCS, Salvation Army, Waltham Council on Aging, and others

Due to the high volume of cases and our small team, WATCH is not able to:

  • Help apply for rental assistance for clients who are otherwise able-bodied, literate, and able to fill out applications for various programs
  • Perform individual housing searches
  • Provide referrals for non-housing or immigration-related legal assistance

WATCH does not own or rent affordable housing and does not provide housing or shelter.  We also do not provide childcare or transportation.  

Housing Clinic Suggested Resources:

Learn about the clinic's history.