Baltimore reopens rental assistance program for 30 days

Research in Baltimore found that 96% of landlords have lawyers in eviction cases, but only 1% of tenants do, and that when tenants do have attorneys, 92% found ways to avert abrupt displacement. A moratorium was put into effect in Maryland during the coronavirus pandemic requiring tenants to prove their financial hardship was linked to COVID-19 in order to be protected from eviction. Rising unemployment& almost 1 in 5 working residents in Maryland filed for unemployment benefits in March and April has raised fears of a torrent of evictions when the state of emergency ends. staff file

City residents facing eviction over back rent or needing funds to pay deposits can seek help from Baltimore City’s rental assistance program, which reopened its portal Monday for 30 days through Nov. 19.

The program provides case management as well as rental and security deposit assistance for residents who meet eligibility requirements, according to a release from the mayor’s office.

“This relatively short-term assistance can be fundamentally life-changing for the families who receive it,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in the Monday release.

To apply, residents must register online with the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success. The city also said in-person applications will be accepted at five unspecified locations.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the income eligibility criteria, reside in rental units that are registered and licensed with Baltimore City, have a signed lease, and provide documentation, according to the release.

Funding for the program flows from a mix of local, state and federal sources, according to the release, and each source has different timelines and income eligibility criteria.

Starting in 2020, the city received $82 million in federal eviction relief money that lasted until around March 2023, the City Council said last year.

Maryland received $750 million in emergency rental assistance funds via major spending bills passed by Congress in response to the coronavirus pandemic. As of June 2023, more than 82,000 Maryland households had received emergency rental assistance, according to state data. In 2022, residents told The Baltimore Sun that applications for emergency rental assistance funding could take six months to be approved and funded.

“Our work is not just about preventing eviction; it’s about preserving families, fostering community, and ensuring residents in the City of Baltimore have the stability and security of having a place to live,” Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success director Dr. Debra Y. Brooks said in Monday’s release.

Residents are encouraged to visit bmorechildren.com/assistance to learn more.

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