Some months in 2020 also saw a higher-than-average number of “tenant-holding-over” actions, which can occur when a tenant remains on a property after a lease ends. Under recently proposed rental relief legislation, landlords couldn’t refuse to renew a lease based on “rent delinquency and lease expiration” during the pandemic.
When the Maryland General Assembly reconvenes in January, they plan on introducing the Housing Justice Package which would prohibit most evictions until April 2022, urge landlords to avoid evictions when possible and give tenants a lawyer.
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.”
Zafar Shah, an attorney with the Public Justice Center, said Maryland is facing an “unfolding housing crisis” and that, without relief and reform, tenants and homeowners alike could lose their homes.
Recent estimates from the Chicago-based consulting firm Stout show that up to 204,000 Maryland households could currently be at risk for eviction.
State lawmakers announced a package of legislation for Session 2021 that are designed to protect renters, homeowners and small landlords.
“The General Assembly can prevent mass suffering. It has the moral obligation to do so,” said Montgomery County Delegate Vaughn Stewart, D-District 19.
The “Emergency Homeowner Protection” proposal from Maryland Del. Vaughn Stewart would extend “and codify” a foreclosure moratorium for the extent of the state of emergency ordered when the coronavirus pandemic hit.
“It’s clear that relief money is not effective without a deeper reform of the eviction system and investing in holistic services that serve economically struggling households,” he said. “We look to make housing justice happen for renters, homeowners and housing providers — to make it a top priority as Maryland builds back better.”
A sweeping Housing Justice Package for upcoming General Assembly session was unveiled in Maryland Monday morning by a statewide coalition of rental housing advocates and state representatives.
A recent analysis by the consulting firm Stout estimated that between 100,000 and 200,000 Maryland renters are at risk of eviction. The total rent shortfall in Maryland could be between $206 million and $381 million by January, the report found.