EVICTION PREVENTION ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE FOR RENTERS WHO ARE SCHEDULED FOR OR AT HIGH RISK OF EVICTION
NOTE: Even if you are scheduled for eviction or are at high risk of eviction, funding for payment of past due rent is not guaranteed. All applicants are encouraged to pay their rent if possible, and to look for other resources while waiting for their application to be processed.
ALSO NOTE: If you have received emergency rental assistance in the past, you are not eligible for additional assistance.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?
If the Sheriff has scheduled your eviction or your landlord has obtained a Warrant for Possession (Writ of Restitution) or your landlord has gone to court and obtained a Judgment for Possession on a Failure to Pay Rent case, signed by a judge, you may be eligible to apply for emergency rental assistance.
Requirements to be eligible to apply for emergency assistance:
- Household cannot have not received prior funds provided through the ACDS Eviction Prevention Program.
- Renter must be scheduled by the Sheriff for eviction or there must be an active Warrant for Possession (Writ of Restitution) that would allow the Sheriff to evict or there must be a Judgment for Possession (the Failure to Pay Rent complaint signed by a judge after a hearing) in favor of the current landlord issued within the past 60 days.
- Rental property located in Anne Arundel County.
- Anne Arundel County resident with financial hardship arising as a result of or during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
- Household must have a demonstrated history of making rental payments prior to COVID-related financial hardship.
- Total household income must be at or below 50% of Adjusted Median Income (“AMI”) for Anne Arundel County.
If you meet the requirements above, send an email to ACDS at evictionprevention@acdsinc.org, including the following information and documentation:
- The tenant’s name should be noted in the Subject Line. Include the eviction date in the Subject Line if an eviction is scheduled.
- Include the following information regarding the tenant:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address (email must be sent from the tenant’s email address)
- Attach at least one of the following documents:
- Notice of Eviction Date
- Warrant of Restitution/Warrant for Possession
- Copy of Judgment for Possession (the Failure to Pay Rent paper, signed by a judge, after a hearing) within the past 60 days in favor of current landlord.
We understand requests for assistance are time-sensitive, especially when eviction is imminent. We do our very best to respond to all emails from tenants at risk of imminent eviction as quickly as possible. At the latest, staff from the Eviction Prevention Program will respond to each email within two business days (excluding weekends). In many instances, response time will be shorter.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Even if a tenant is facing imminent eviction, emergency rental assistance is dependent upon tenant eligibility for the Eviction Prevention Program. Assistance is subject to funding availability, limits on the maximum number of months of assistance allowed by the funding source(s), and any other programmatic limitations on payments.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE ACDS EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM
THE EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM GENERALLY DOES NOT PROVIDE PAYMENTS FOR UTILITY BILLS. FOR INFORMATION REGARDING ASSISTANCE WITH PAST DUE UTILITY BILLS, CLICK HERE: https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/how-do-you-apply/
KEY POLICIES REGARDING ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY’S EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
The Eviction Prevention Program (EPP) provides eviction prevention assistance for eligible renters whose household income has been impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis. The Eviction Prevention Program is not a long term rental assistance program. All assistance is subject household eligibility and funding availability.
NOTE TO TENANTS AND LANDLORDS: ACDS does not pay rental arrears for tenants who have already been evicted or who have already vacated their unit. However, tenants may be eligible for relocation assistance if they were evicted or had to move as a result of financial hardship related to the COVID-19 crisis.
LANDLORD-TENANT FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS: Tenants whose landlord is a family member of any person in the tenant’s household will be eligible for assistance only if: there is a valid written lease between the parties which predates the application for assistance; there is a documented history of rental payments made by the tenant corresponding with documented receipt of payments received by the landlord (bank statements required from both landlord and tenant); and, there is proof that the landlord has operated the rental agreement between the parties as a business, including proof of reporting the rent as income for tax purposes. Additional documentation may be required depending on circumstances.
12 MONTHS’ RENT IS MAXIMUM ASSISTANCE PER HOUSEHOLD: In order to assist as many households as possible, the maximum rental assistance available to each household is a total of twelve (12) months’ rent. Subject to the availability of funding and regulatory maximum assistance, additional months of assistance may be provided under exceptional circumstances in order to prevent homelessness.
PROSPECTIVE RENT: The Eviction Prevention Program does not provide assistance for prospective (future) rent.
SPECIAL LIMITS ON ASSISTANCE FOR LEASES BEGINNING JULY 1, 2021 OR LATER: If a renter’s lease begins on or after July 1, 2021 and the rent charged is above the Small Area Fair Market Rent for the zip code where the property is located, rental assistance will be limited to payment of three months’ arrears. If the renter owes more than three months’ in arrears, then the renter must pay off the additional amount of arrears owed in order to be eligible for emergency rental assistance. Small Area Fair Market Rent may be found by zip code on the HUD website at: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2022_code/2022summary_sa.odn.
If you are a tenant who has submitted an application for assistance, please be patient. We understand this is a stressful time, and we are working hard to get to everyone as quickly as possible.
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Do You Have a Court Date Related to Past Due Rent or a Notice of Eviction?
Legal Assistance is Available!
Community Legal Services provides FREE LEGAL ADVICE and representation for tenants who have been sued for eviction for rent-related reasons. If you receive the yellow court notice titled “Landlord’s Complaint for Failure to Pay Rent,” contact Community Legal Services. CLS can provide advice and/or representation for you so that you have support through the court process. Para asistencia legal: CLS Info en español.
- If you receive any notices from the sheriff with a date for scheduled eviction, notify ACDS at evictionprevention@acdsinc.org and contact Community Legal Services immediately at (240) 391-6370, ext. 5. You can also complete an online intake for legal services at: https://www.legal-trak.com/CaseManagement/OnlineInTake/OnlineInTake/3?skipPayment=true.
- If you have already applied for rental assistance, make sure all your supporting documents have been submitted so your application can be processed quickly and smoothly.
Para asistencia de ACDS en Espanol por favor llame al 410-222-7600 y selecione la opcion “3”
How the Eviction Prevention Program Works
Eligible Applicants
Eligible households:
- Anne Arundel County residents
- Must have an active Warrant for Possession or eviction date scheduled by the Sheriff
- At least one member of the household qualified for Unemployment Insurance benefits after March 16, 2020 or experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 outbreak
- Income at or below 50% Adjusted Median Income (AMI).
- Do not have enough income, saving, assets or other resources to pay housing costs
- One or more members of household can demonstrate a risk of homelessness or housing instability in the form of a past due utility or rent notice, an eviction notice, unsafe or unhealthy living conditions or other evidence of such risk.
- Have a lease or sublease of unit with demonstrated history of rental payments prior to COVID-related financial hardship.
How to Apply
As of November 1, 2022, applications are accepted only for renters at imminent risk of eviction, meaning you must have an active warrant for possession against you or be scheduled for eviction by the Sheriff.
You must receive pre-approval to submit an application by sending an email to evictionprevention@acdsinc.org.
If you have received assistance in the past, you are not eligible for additional assistance.
Required Documentation
Applicants must provide supporting documentation, including, but not limited to the following:
- Verification of household income (i.e. W-2, pay-stubs and/or tax returns, bank statements)
- Eviction notice or correspondence from landlord indicating the tenant is in arrears and amount owed
- Rental/lease agreement or sublease
- Photo identification for all adult members of household
- Evidence of income loss due to or during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Once a Case Manager receives all documentation, they will review to determine eligibility. Please note that payments will be made directly to the landlord.
Income Limits
Applicants must have income at or below 50% of AMI, as defined by HUD and as indicated below, adjusted for household size.
| Household Size | Income Limit |
| 1 | $40,650 |
| 2 | $46,450 |
| 3 | $52,250 |
| 4 | $58,050 |
| 5 | $62,700 |
| 6 | $67,350 |
| 7 | $72,000 |