$11M In Rent, Utility, Mortgage Help Available To HoCo Residents

Ellicott City MD

11 March, 2021

3:14 PM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Residents can apply for $9.7 million in grant funding Howard County has received from the U.S. Treasury for rent relief and utility assistance, along with $1.4 million in county funding that supports a new foreclosure prevention program. The treasury funding will be distributed through local non-profit organizations and can be used to pay past due rent and utility expenses for up to 12 months. "Our residents still have significant needs as they manage utility bills, rent payments and mortgage payments during this challenging time. Rental delinquency data from the Maryland Multi-Housing Association and the Housing Commission estimates that one in four of the 23,000 renter households in Howard County are past due on rent," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a news conference Thursday. "Beginning today, residents can apply to one of our four nonprofit partners to receive assistance to pay past due rent and utility expenses for up to 12 months." The following local non-profits will be distributing the funding: $2.35 million through Community Action Council – Howard County; $1 million through Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network (FIRN); $1 million through Grassroots; and $200k through Springboard Community Services. Rent and Utility AssistanceRent and utility assistance is available for residents experiencing a loss of income due to the coronavirus. Residents that have received assistance previously are eligible to apply for additional assistance from this funding. With the current eviction moratorium set to expire at the end of March, the county department of housing and community development is encouraging all residents with COVID-related household income losses to contact one of these providers as soon as possible to bring rent and utility accounts current and avoid eviction. Mortgage Assistance Ball also announced the county is funding a new foreclosure prevention program with $1.4 million supported through county pandemic assistance funding. Residents impacted by the coronavirus who are unable to pay their mortgage payments should contact the county's housing department to complete an application for mortgage assistance. Residents with pending or approved forbearance plans with their mortgage lender are eligible to apply for assistance. The moratorium on filing of notices of intent to foreclose also ends March 31. "While we have focused on providing rental assistance over the last year, we realize many homeowners have also been struggling to make their mortgage payments during this time," Kelly Cimino, director of the department of housing and community development said at the news conference. "With the moratorium on foreclosures expiring at the end of the month, we are taking action now to help homeowners pay past due mortgage payments, so they can retain the equity in their homes and avoid foreclosure." Howard County Sheriff Marcus Harris said the moratorium on coronavirus-related evictions is still in place in Howard County. "The Sheriff's Office is, however, serving orders from District Court regarding non-COVID related eviction, breach of leases and tenant holdovers," Harris said.