Link | Publication: Conall Smith, WBOC | Date: Dec. 29, 2020
Excerpt
Renters United Maryland, along with the Maryland Attorney General, Brian Frosh, have unveiled the Housing Justice Package. The group says the package will protect renters and homeowners.
“We’re looking at emergency renter protections such as prohibiting rent increase and lease non-renewals. Expanding the governor’s and the CDC’s orders preventing evictions during the emergency,” says Zafar Shah, an attorney with the Public Justice Center.
Included in the legislation is financial relief for landlords through a state-wide program matching state and county funds. It would also prohibit rent delinquency and lease expiration as grounds for evictions says Shah. It would also “require landlords to use rental assistance before they file and put people in jeopardy of people losing their homes. And also providing a lawyer to renters who end up in an eviction case before a district court.”
There are protections for home-owners included as well including extensions on Governor Hogan’s mortgage-foreclosure-moratorium.