HoCo Receives $770K In Grant Money To Help Prevent Evictions

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Howard County has received $770,000 in federal community development block grant funds to be used in response to the new coronavirus pandemic. The county plans to grant these funds to housing providers like the Housing Commission, Bridges to Housing Stability, Heritage Housing Partners and Community Action Council to provide rent assistance to tenants that could be facing eviction for non-payment of rent due to COVID-19.

“These funds are critical in supporting our residents who have experienced a loss of income and are unable to pay rent,” said County Executive Calvin Ball in a statement. “We’re incredibly grateful to our congressional delegation who were instrumental in ensuring critical relief to those hit the hardest by COVID-19 mitigation measures.”

Additional community development block grant funds will be awarded to some of these same nonprofits after July 1 to continue to provide rental assistance and eviction prevention. The county also is allocating additional funding of $37,000 to Making Change, Inc., a nonprofit credit counseling agency in the county, to help residents with budgeting strategies and assistance contacting creditors as they recover from income loss or medical illness.