Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced that a $9.7 million grant from the U.S. Treasury will be used to assist with rent and utility costs for county residents suffering from pandemic-related hardship.

The funds will be a welcome source of relief for residents who have suffered loss of income, reduction in hours, or medical illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant can be used to pay up to nine month of past due rent or utilities. Residents who have already received rental assistance, as well as those who are still unemployed, may also be eligible for additional assistance under this grant; household income limits apply.

From the Howard County press release:

“Eleven months into this pandemic, and we are still seeing the serious repercussions on the livelihoods of our residents,” said Ball. “These funds are vital to support our residents who suffered job or income loss due to COVID-19 and are being forced to choose which bills to pay versus how to feed their families. The faster we can get these funds into the hands of our residents, the better. Our Housing Department’s quick action to apply for these funds will help so many of our neighbors, and we will continue looking for all opportunities to provide assistance for our most vulnerable residents.”