December 8, 2025

On November 25, 2025, Massachusetts enacted temporary foreclosure and eviction protections for residents affected by the federal government shutdown through Chapter 73 of the Acts of 2025 (“Chapter 73”). Chapter 73 constitutes an appropriations act that adds new provisions to Mass. Gen. Laws c. 244, § 42. The statute prohibits mortgagees from initiating or advancing foreclosure activity on occupied residential property when the borrower or the borrower’s tenant is an “impacted federal worker” who provides notice and documents evidencing shutdown-related financial hardship. Mortgagees must provide a 180-day forbearance upon a sworn request without additional fees, penalties, or negative credit reporting, and deferred payments shift to the end of the loan term unless the parties agree otherwise. The prohibition applies during the shutdown period and for 30 days afterward. The Governor may extend this protection window by up to 75 days when circumstances warrant. These provisions temporarily stop foreclosure activity for qualifying borrowers and create a defined process for obtaining relief during periods of federally driven income disruption.

Chapter 73 also created parallel tenant protections under Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, § 17, which restrict “non-essential evictions” for nonpayment of rent when an impacted federal worker provides notice and documentation of shutdown-related hardship. While this parallel protection under Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, § 17 does not eliminate rent obligations or require landlords to offer rent forbearance, it does prevent the initiation or advancement of eviction actions during the shutdown period and for the 30 days that follow. The state’s Governor may also extend these protections by an additional 75 days. This may create a uniform framework for temporary relief in both the foreclosure and landlord-tenant settings while maintaining the underlying repayment responsibilities for borrowers and tenants.