Although landlords across Maryland are prohibited from evicting during the public health emergency, some residents do not have that protection.
Those with leases are currently protected under Gov. Larry Hogan’s April 3 orders halting residential evictions during the pandemic. But there are residents in informal housing agreements, such as renting a room, who could face eviction if they don’t keep up with rent.
To help keep residents in their homes, the Montgomery County Council might provide $2 million for rental assistance.
At a meeting Tuesday, Council Member Evan Glass, who spearheaded the proposed appropriation, said the council has received calls, emails and messages from residents who lost their jobs and are afraid they will be evicted if they don’t pay rent.
Close to 40% of the county’s residents are renters.
“If they can’t afford to live in their home, they won’t have a home to be safe in,” Glass said. “The last thing we need is more people leaving their homes, for whatever reason, and going into any of the shelters where we’re already trying to take care of those experiencing homelessness.”
A public hearing and vote on the funds will be on April 28.
Glass said the county’s Department of Health and Human Services has had an increase in requests for housing assistance and many of the eligible residents can’t receive state or federal assistance. Nearly a third of the renters across the nation didn’t pay rent in the first week of April, he said.
The funds would cover emergency eviction protection, housing stabilization and rapid rehousing. At least half of the funds would be used for a short-term rental subsidy program.
The council sent a letter to County Executive Marc Elrich on Monday requesting that he expand the eligibility for existing rental assistance programs and establish a multilingual hotline for the housing stabilization unit.
It also asked that Elrich leverage private sector investment and partnerships with landlords to ensure that renters have a six-month transition after the emergency evictions are lifted.
“I’ve been speaking with the administration to work through this and I believe we have come to some agreements that there will be federal funds likely to supplement this,” Glass said. “It’s still being worked out.”
Council Member Hans Riemer said at the meeting that affordable housing providers often have tenants who are employed in the retail sector and facing a higher level of unemployment.
County staff members are working on postponing certain payments, such as for loans, from nonprofit housing providers to the county.
“They’re having trouble getting enough from rent to pay off their own finances,” Riemer said at the meeting. “To the extent that the county can defer payment on financing that is owed to the county is very useful, as well as additional measures we may be able to take with providers themselves.”
Riemer said the council is pushing for the next federal stimulus package to include more financial support for affordable housing providers.
Briana Adhikusuma can be reached at briana.adhikusuma@moco360.media.
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