Housing Justice
Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights
The State of Maryland has published the first statewide Tenants’ Bill of Rights in the nation, as required by the passage of the Renters Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024. Maryland landlords, please note: Starting on July 1, 2025, the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights must be included with all rental leases. Please go here and download the Bill of Rights. If you have a landlord-tenant issue and need assistance, please fill out our intake form. You can also download our Maryland Tenant Guide for self-help and information.
Sick of BGE Rate Hikes? Learn How to Fight Back!
If you are upset about the current cost of utilities, you’re not alone. In 2025, the average yearly BGE bill for a home with a gas furnace is estimated to be $3,750, about a 50% increase from 2021. Make no mistake, this is not simply an issue of supply and demand, these costs are being driven up by corporate greed. It is unacceptable. The past few months, Economic Action Maryland Fund and our partners fought for legislation to reduce the cost of utilities while the gas and utilities spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on lobbyists to defeat these bills. ...
Convenience Fee Questionnaire
Please answer the following three questions regarding management companies/landlords that charge convenience fees for tenants who pay rent monthly through a portal. Your responses will be anonymous -- in fact, the only personal information required is your ZIP Code. Thank you!
Baltimore Property Company Leaves Tenants in the Lurch
Our Tenant Advocacy Director, Carol Ott, weighs in on the difficulties tenants are having with their property management company in Baltimore. Read the full article in the Banner here. If you're a Maryland renter and need assistance with a landlord-tenant matter, please fill out our intake form.
2025 End of Session Report
Yesterday was the last day of the legislative session and although it was a cool, gray, rainy day, there were still moments when the rain stopped, and the sun burst through. This is an apt description of this year's legislative session as well. At a time when economic protections and policies to promote racial equity are being decimated, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is currently on life support, Maryland’s General Assembly passed some great bills, some good bills, and some very bad bills for working families. Below are some of the bills that Economic Action was thrilled to lead ...
Help Protect Maryland Homeowners from Foreclosure!
Maryland, Alabama, and Connecticut are the only three states in the country that do not have a statute of limitations for foreclosures. Statutes of limitations establishes the time limit for bringing a foreclosure action. Essentially, it means that if a homeowner misses mortgage payments, a foreclosure action must begin before the time runs out. This provides clarity for the homeowner and ensures that mortgage servicers have an incentive to work with homeowners to refinance the mortgage to a more affordable payment or begin foreclosure proceedings in a timely fashion. Forty-seven states already do this which means that mortgages lenders and ...
Protect Maryland Residents from Foreclosure on Zombie Mortgages!
Maryland, Connecticut, and Alabama are rarely thought of as a trio; they are located in different regions in the U.S. with distinct food, culture, cities, and natural environments. They share one unfortunate trait: Maryland, Alabama, and Connecticut are the only three states in the country that do not have a statute of limitations for foreclosure. Statutes of limitations establishes the time limit for bringing a foreclosure action. Essentially, it means that if a homeowner misses mortgage payments, a foreclosure action must begin before the time runs out. This provides clarity for the homeowner and ensures that mortgage servicers have an ...
Major Federal Housing Policy Changes
Below is information from the National Housing Resource Center about a series of significant policy changes recently announced by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). These changes impact mortgage eligibility, tenant protections, housing equity efforts, and fair lending requirements. FHA Changes – Effective May 25, 2025 Residency Requirement Update: Only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents will be eligible for FHA-insured loans. Non-permanent residents will no longer qualify for FHA financing. Borrowers must provide valid documentation, such as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) Read the mortgagee letter here. (Link opens a PDF.) The ...
Post-Crossover Update: Heading To the Finish Line
Last Monday, March 17 wasn’t just St. Patrick’s Day. It was also ‘crossover day,’ the day by which a bill had to pass out of one chamber of the General Assembly in order to have a good chance of final passage by Sine Die, the last day of the 2025 legislative session on Monday, April 7. It wasn’t the luck of the Irish, it was the hard work of our policy team, our bill sponsors, our partners and supporters that led to 14 bills we’ve led and supported making it across this critical legislative hurdle. A few highlights include: HB268/SB981: ...
Voting Today — Stop Zombie Mortgages!
Today, the House and Senate will be voting on a bill that will roll back decades of consumer protection law and make it easier for zombie mortgage purchasers to enter the state. Because the turnaround rate on this bill from hearing to voting session is so quick, we need your help NOW to keep this bill from passing. The bill, HB1516/SB1026, introduced by Governor Moore’s Office of Financial Regulation, would allow predatory debt buyers to avoid oversight, investigation, regulation, and enforcement. It protects predatory zombie debt buyers instead of hardworking Maryland families. An NPR report found that more than 700 ...