For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 28, 2023
On Tuesday, Council President Evan Glass introduced a resolution calling on Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland General Assembly to allocate $175 million in the fiscal year 2024 budget to help an estimated 17,000 Maryland families avoid eviction. The resolution is cosponsored by Councilmembers Natali Fani-González, Kate Stewart, Gabe Albornoz, Sidney Katz, Will Jawando, Laurie-Anne Sayles, Kristin Mink and Council Vice-President Andrew Friedson. The resolution can be read here.
“Anyone can find themselves temporarily unable to pay their rent due to a medical emergency, car accident, funeral expense or job loss. With over 130,000 households in Montgomery County struggling to make rent every month, we must do more to provide affordable housing and help those at risk of being evicted,” said Council President Glass.
“Research has shown that low-income women of color are most at risk of being evicted. By creating a statewide fund for emergency rental assistance and the right to counsel during evictions, Maryland can create a more equitable, sustainable housing economy.”
To protect residents who were at risk of losing their homes, Council President Glass spearheaded the County’s efforts to provide rental assistance for individuals at risk of eviction by securing an initial $2 million in rental assistance in early 2020. With assistance from state and federal partners, the funding grew to over $100 million and helped prevent evictions and homelessness in Montgomery County – keeping over 12,000 individuals and families in their homes.
Governor Moore announced a $5 billion state surplus in this year’s budget. Montgomery County residents, along with all Marylanders, are facing an end to local rental assistance, in addition to reductions in SNAP benefits, imposing hardship on many families. Allocating $175 million for FY24 eviction support can help an estimated 17,000 Maryland families stay in their homes.
The 2022 nationwide homeless count was flat from the previous two years, which was attributed to widespread eviction moratoriums, billions in rental assistance and an expansion of federal housing vouchers that fortified the safety net. Some of these resources have since expired or been reduced. Montgomery County and jurisdictions throughout Maryland are facing a funding cliff that will end emergency rental assistance throughout the state.
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Release ID: 23-063