Earlier this week I was pleased to sign onto a letter to Governor Hogan urging him to enact certain policies in order to curb the looming eviction crisis. The letter, sent by Speaker Adrienne Jones, (attached here) was signed by the majority of my colleagues in the General Assembly and asks Governor Hogan for additional funding for the state’s rental assistance program. The letter also asks Hogan to provide funding for legal assistance for those facing eviction.
With Maryland courts hearing eviction cases again, thousands upon thousands are in danger of being evicted. Earlier this summer Governor Hogan announced a $30 million increase to the rental assistance program, but we need to do more. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates 13 percent of the 223,000 Marylanders in need will be covered by the $30 million Hogan already set aside.
The letter sent by legislators also includes proposals for tracking eviction court data as well as a call to prohibit late fees or report delinquent payments to credit bureaus for the remainder of the year. We need to take action now to prevent a major humanitarian crisis with so many residents facing eviction and homelessness. I urge Governor Hogan to implement these actions.