Montgomery County Council Introduces Emergency Rental Assistance Appropriation
✉️ Want to forward this article? Click here.
This morning, the Montgomery County Council introduced a $2 million budget appropriation for emergency rental assistance.
The funds would be available as a short-term subsidy to low- and moderate-income households during the 2020 fiscal year to bolster the county's eviction moratorium related to the COVID public health emergency. A rent freeze bill is also pending in the Council.
These subsidies are intended to fill the gaps left for renters who may not hold a formal lease or who were ineligible for federal relief payments. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) would oversee the funds, and the county would also seek federal or state monies to reimburse the appropriation and other COVID-related expenses.
story continues below
story continues above
The Council also sent a letter to County Executive Marc Elrich requesting that rental assistance eligibility be temporarily expanded by waiving certain requirements and allowing households more than one subsidy within a 12-month period. The letter also seeks a six-month grace period after the emergency lifts to extend eviction moratorium protections.
"Housing insecurity is especially acute for Montgomery County renters, who
make on average 70% of the area median income and half of whom are cost burdened, notwithstanding the current economic climate," the letter states. "While the statewide eviction moratorium is temporarily helpful for some renters, we must also increase direct housing assistance and expand the qualifications for existing County housing programs so that more Montgomery County residents are able to recover from this economic crisis and its lasting effects."
The Council will hold a virtual public hearing on the rental assistance appropriation next week.
See other articles related to: budget, montgomery county, montgomery county council, pandemic, rent relief, state of emergency
This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.production.logicbrush.com/articles/blog/montgomery-county-council-introduces-emergency-rental-assistance-appropriat/16745.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever

A new Zillow report finds that home values and rents around the country rose twice as... read »

Today, UrbanTurf is taking a look at the tax benefits associated with buying a home t... read »

A new Bright MLS dashboard finds that there was an uptick in new listings coming onli... read »

With three new buildings delivering last year and at the beginning of 2025, the new d... read »

Penzance, in partnership with The Baupost Group, has plans in the works for One Rossl... read »
- How Much Home Prices And Rents In The DC Area Have Risen Since The Pandemic
- A Look At The Tax Benefits of Buying a Home Through a Trust
- DOGE Housing Tracker: New Listings Rise In DC Area Over Last Week
- The Nearly 3,000 Units Still In The Works At Buzzard Point
- 850 New Units Along Rosslyn Skyline Look To Move Forward
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro