For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Media Contact: Ines Toto Furume, CASA, 571-423-8458, itotofurume@wearecasa.org
ANNAPOLIS, MD – The 2024 General Assembly closed with the passage of critical bills that advance housing justice: The Tenant Safety Act, HB 1117/SB 946, will empower tenants to hold negligent landlords accountable to fix conditions that threaten the life, health, or safety of their families. The act will allow tenants in the same building to join together in a suit; set the expectation that the Court will reduce the rent if the landlord is negligent, and level the playing field with landlords by providing greater access to legal counsel for renters.
In another critical win, the General Assembly allocated $10 million to prevent evictions and homelessness for thousands of Maryland families. HB 428/SB 370 will direct $5 million in eviction prevention funds to families with children, along with another $5 million in the FY 2025 budget. This legislation follows recent report findings that investing in this kind of eviction prevention more than pays for itself because it reduces homelessness and state-funded safety net costs related to shelter, educating students experiencing homelessness, health care, foster care, decreased incarceration, and the economic impacts of increased employment and income stability.
Renter power in Annapolis was central to both of these wins. Renters held press conferences & rallies in Annapolis, testified at hearings, and were present for voting sessions – all to make sure legislators were doing the work of the people:
“I’m so grateful and appreciative for the passing of the Tenant And Safety Act,” said Florida Hall, a Prince George’s County renter who testified in support of the measure. “It means a lot to me and others to know we have solutions to be safe and live a healthy life in our communities.”
Tonia Chestnut, External Affairs Chair for the Enclave Tenant Association, said “we as tenants are overjoyed with the passing of TSA, this is a step forward in ensuring our landlords are held accountable for uninhabitable and unsafe living conditions for their tenants. Not only does this legislation empower tenants by providing them with the means to take action against landlords who fail to address unsafe conditions within a certain timeframe; it’s a positive development for tenant advocacy and protection.”
Renters United Maryland (RUM) is the statewide coalition of renters, community groups, and advocates that spearheaded advocacy on both bills. The Maryland Eviction Prevention Funds Alliance also supported the eviction prevention bill.
However, the Maryland Senate missed a key opportunity to protect renters’ stability when it refused to vote on legislation passed by the House of Delegates (HB 477) that would have allowed counties to pass their own “good cause eviction” bills. Good cause eviction ensures
housing stability for renters by requiring a landlord to state a good reason for any eviction. Without good cause eviction, landlords subject more than 6,000 families each year to no-cause evictions – which are a non-transparent way for some landlords to retaliate or discriminate
against tenants to assert their rights. Based on the best available research, Maryland is only one of six states in the country that prohibits counties from enacting their own good cause eviction law. Yet, the Senate, led by Senate President Bill Ferguson and Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair Will Smith, refused to hold a vote despite compelling testimony from renters, local lawmakers, and community groups eager to protect families in their communities. Additionally, neither chamber held a vote on the Tenant Possessions Recovery Act, HB HB1114/SB0992, which would have brought Maryland into line with 46 other states in providing renters some notice and opportunity to reclaim their possessions if they are evicted.
“As a proud Mexican immigrant and long-standing member of CASA, residing in Montgomery County as a renter for over 25 years, I cannot overstate the significance of being able to hold landlords accountable for neglecting health hazardous conditions. The ability to protect good-standing tenants from unjust evictions is not just a legal safeguard but a moral imperative that we will keep coming back for until it passes. Throughout my lifetime as a renter, I’ve witnessed rent prices skyrocket while tenant protections have dwindled, creating profound instability for working-class families like mine. The passage of measures prioritizing tenant safety and stability is not merely a legislative victory; it’s a beacon of hope for countless families striving for dignity and security in their homes,” said Maria Enriquez, a resident in District 20, Montgomery County.
“These wins help rebalance the scales in favor of those who too often bear the weight of poor living conditions and exorbitant rents from unscrupulous landlords,” said Matan Zeimer, Maryland Policy Director of Jews United for Justice. “Too many Marylanders have endured substandard living conditions, from mold-infested apartments to broken plumbing, while facing relentless rent hikes that push them to the verge of homelessness. We know however that victory is bittersweet because the General Assembly left the Good Cause Eviction Act on the table: renters across Maryland will be feeling the effects of that this year.”
“The General Assembly made clear in 2024 that landlords who fail in their basic duty to provide safe, healthy housing must be held accountable, and that no child should ever have to face eviction,” said Matt Hill, attorney at Public Justice Center. He continued: “But if families who complain about the landlord’s negligence are then evicted, what’s the point? We’ll be back next year with a laser focus on Good Cause Eviction to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
These wins do not happen without the steadfast advocacy of housing justice champions in the House and Senate including bill sponsors Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins, Senator Anthony Muse, Delegate Vaughn Stewart, Senator Shelly Hettleman, Senator Ariana Kelly, Delegate Jen Terrasa, and Senator Joanne Benson as well as General Assembly leadership House Speaker Adrienne Jones, Senate President Bill Ferguson, Chair Marc Korman, Chair Will Smith, Chair Ben Barnes, Chair Vanessa Atterbeary, and many more! Special thanks to the Legislative Black Caucus who championed the Good Cause Eviction bill and successfully moved it through passage in the House of Delegates. We will be back!
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Renters United Maryland is a coalition of advocates for renters and for safe, affordable rental housing. Our member organizations include tenant organizers, legal services providers, community-based organizations, and advocacy groups working together to make stable housing a reality through legislative advocacy. We are leading the charge against housing insecurity.