Eviction Threatens Hundreds; Anne Arundel Ups Prevention Measures

ANNAPOLIS, MD — More than 300 Annapolis families are behind on rent and are at risk for eviction from public housing, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman informed. Pittman has prioritized eviction-prevention throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and this situation is no different.

The county executive announced an aid package Wednesday to help the renters keep their homes. The $106,000 effort will not pay each family's full rent, but it will fund their legal and financial counseling.

"These residents are our neighbors," Pittman said in a press release. "We cannot allow them to become homeless."

The county's eviction-prevention team, called Arundel Community Development Services, will pay for the project. This group will contract Civil Justice, a renter's advocacy nonprofit, to point these at-risk residents to the right resources. If successful, the initiative will help the families keep their homes rented from the Housing Authority City of Annapolis.

"There are 300 households who have probably 300 different situations," added Kathleen Koch, Executive Director of Arundel Community Development Services. "This initiative will bring them help tailored to their unique situation."

Renters previously had a shield against evictions, which became a bigger risk during the economic downturn.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an eviction moratorium last September. This temporary ban kept residents out of homeless shelters, which have a high risk of coronavirus outbreaks, given their close quarters.

The halt was initially supposed to run through January, but the CDC extended it for at least two more months. A federal judge in Texas ruled the moratorium unconstitutional on Thursday, however. This may allow evictions to resume.

"The immediate assistance provided by County Executive Pittman and his staff is critical in ... the fight against the eviction crisis," said Alderman DaJuan Gay, who represents the Sixth Ward in Annapolis.

For more information on the new services, call Koch at (410) 222-7600 or (410) 991-8049.

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