Howard County residents can now apply for grants that will help them pay rent, utilities or mortgages that are past due because of financial problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The county Department of Housing and Community Development encourages all residents with COVID-related household income losses to apply as soon as possible to bring rent and utility accounts current and avoid eviction, since the current eviction moratorium is set to expire by the end of March.
The money for the relief grants comes from $9.7 million the county received from the federal government as well as $1.4 million allocated by the county.
Non-profit organizations will distribute the federal funding, which 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,” County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement. “Rental delinquency data from the Maryland Multi-Housing Association and the Housing Commission estimates that 1 in 4 of the 23,000 renter households in Howard County are past due on rent.”
–Madison Haller