If you’re a renter having trouble paying your rent, utilities, or other housing costs, or if you’re a landlord trying to stay afloat with tenants during the pandemic, there is help available. Through the American Rescue Plan, billions of dollars in assistance – to help renters stay housed and help landlords cover missed payments and underpayments – has been made available through state, local, and tribal government agencies, including the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and others.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched a new resource to help renters and landlords navigate various financial hardships related to the pandemic. The Rental Assistance Finder can help you locate resources throughout Maryland and beyond. To access this tool, visit www.consumerfinance.gov/renthelp.
The COVID pandemic temporarily changed the way courts handle “Failure to Pay Rent” eviction cases, but the federal and state moratoriums on these specific types of evictions cases are set to expire. As of July 31, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s order preventing evictions for failure to pay will no longer be in effect. Further, the Governor of Maryland’s Executive Order prohibiting evictions for nonpayment of rent due to significant loss of income will expire on August 15, 2021.
If you need rental assistance, don’t wait – there is help available and the CFPB’s new tool will help you find it. To contact the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, visit https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Pages/EvictionPrevention/default.aspx. For more information about eviction prevention in Maryland, read our guidance here: https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/CPD%20Documents/Tips-Publications/Eviction_prevention.pdf.
