Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott has announced an expansion of the City’s Eviction Prevention Program that will provide more resources to tenants.
In an effort to support long-term housing stability, Baltimore City is creating a fund that will help cover security deposits for renters up to $2,000 per unit. Residents must have an income of 125 percent of the federal poverty level and provide documentation of a security deposit requirement to be eligible.
“All Baltimoreans deserve safe and stable housing. As we emerge from this pandemic, we must address barriers to long-term housing stability for our residents, like unaffordable security deposits,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This expansion of eviction prevention resources — including a dedicated fund for security deposits — is the result of months of collaboration between the Mayor’s Office, Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success, and the Department of Housing and Community Development to support Baltimore families while also safeguarding the rights of renters.”
According to Baltimore City:
The security deposit fund will be generated from $3.3 million in supplemental funds from a FY20 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Between September 2021 and September 2022, when the funds must be expended, the City will provide security deposit assistance of up to $2,000 per unit.
The Eviction Prevention Program is administered by the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success (MOCFS) through Baltimore City’s Community Action Partnership (CAP) centers. Because Eviction Prevention Program funding spans federal, state and local sources, each with its own timeline and income eligibility criteria, MOCFS will process applications for assistance through a central online portal and refer applicants for specific resources based on their eligibility. The security deposit program will be an exception in that it will have a unique application process supported by designated funds and a designated staff.
Other new housing stability supports coming online this summer include a partnership between MOCFS and United Way of Central Maryland that will redirect $16 million in State funds to direct rental assistance. United Way will make bulk payments to landlords of multifamily housing properties with large numbers of tenants.
For more information, visit MOCFS’ website.
