Maryland fair housing
Act Now! Protect Debtors, Homeowners, and Tenants This Legislative Session!
Monday, March 23 is crossover day for Maryland’s General Assembly. This means that legislation needs to pass out of one chamber and cross to the opposite chamber by midnight on that date to have a good chance of passing this legislative session. Almost all of the bill hearings are done, so the next few days are crucial. Advocates are racing to ensure priority legislation makes it onto committee voting lists, moves out of committee, and passes on the House or Senate floor. All the while, monied interests are working hard to ensure bills die in committee, are weakened to the ...
Housing Services
Maryland Housing ServicesWe work to ensure Maryland tenants and homeowners are living in safe and healthy housing, free from discrimination, by providing Maryland tenants and landlords with free information about their rights and responsibilities on the following topics:Lease reviewsEviction Notification and Procedure, Illegal EvictionNonpayment of Rent (Please note: We do not provide financial assistance.)Code Enforcement, including licenses and inspectionsSubstandard or Unsafe Housing, including Denial of Essential Services (heat, water, stove, etc.)Security DepositsRent EscrowLead PaintFederal, State, and Local Fair Housing Laws, including Source of Income DiscriminationDisability DiscriminationEmotional Support Animals and Service AnimalsWe can also provide referrals to legal service providers, or ...
Keep People Housed — Take Action to Pass Key Reforms in 2026!
This past weekend marked the halfway point in Maryland’s 90-day legislative session. As we cross that benchmark, another, more critical deadline looms: March 23. This is crossover day, which means a bill has to have passed out of one chamber and crossed over to the opposite chamber to have a good chance to make it across the finish line this session. Several critical housing bills haven’t been voted on, and we need your help to get them on the vote lists and out of committee as the clock ticks down. Take action today! Corporate landlords and property managers are trying ...
Guide to Fair Housing for Maryland Landlords
Written by our Fair Housing Manager, LaToya McKay, A Guide to Fair Housing for Maryland landlords is now available on our website, at no charge. The guide will assist landlords with all phases of the tenancy process: Advertising, Application, Choosing a Tenant, and During the Tenancy. There's also a handy income and affordability calculation method to screen tenants with Housing Choice Vouchers or other forms of housing assistance. You'll learn more about Federal fair housing law, Maryland fair housing law, and we've included a handy cheat sheet that shows all of the Federal, state, and local protected classes. You can ...
Take Action to Strengthen Fair Housing in Maryland
Everyone needs a safe, affordable roof over their head. Yet some property owners refuse to provide housing to Marylanders based on their source of income, race, disability, gender identity or other protected characteristics. This is illegal according to Maryland's fair housing laws, but we currently have trouble proving discrimination. SB180 will change that and make it easier to detect and root out housing discrimination.Fair housing programs test housing providers to ensure that they are following the law and root out discrimination. This work in Maryland is more important than ever since at the federal level, staffing and funding of the ...
Maryland Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Tenants Using Housing Vouchers
Earlier this year, the Maryland Attorney General asked the Maryland Supreme Court to protect housing voucher recipients from income-based discrimination, via an amicus brief filed in March. In July of this year, the Maryland Supreme Court issued a judgement in favor of the tenant. The case began when a tenant named Katrina Hare tried to obtain housing in a Baltimore County apartment complex owned by David S. Brown Enterprises. The company implemented an income requirement, and did not use the accepted income calculations that take into account the client's voucher amount. As a result, Ms. Hare was denied housing because ...
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights Publishes Source of Income Guidance
This information is important for both landlords and tenants. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights has published Source of Income Guidance, which outlines the rules around what landlords can and cannot do, with regard to tenants who use Housing Choice Vouchers and other sources of non-traditional income. From MCCR: The purpose of this guidance1 is to provide information on how the State of Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (“Commission”) analyzes source of income discrimination in housing as a result of the enactment of the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (“HOME”) Act of 2020. The guidance aims to inform tenants, housing providers, ...
Strengthen Fair Housing in Maryland, Urge Your Legislators to Vote YES on HB392/SB107
Background In 2023, there were 198 fair housing complaints in the Baltimore Metro region. At Economic Action, we’ve received many fair housing complaints with a large number of complaints based on access to reasonable accommodations to assist residents with a disability. To determine whether housing providers are discriminating against Marylanders due to race, gender, ethnicity, how someone pays for their rent, or other protected reasons, fair housing organizations conduct tests to see if discrimination exists. The Problem In 39 states including Virginia and the District of Columbia, fair housing testers use an audio recording to accurately capture the conversation with ...
Community Group Meeting or Training Request
If your Maryland community group, HOA, or neighborhood association is interested in having our Fair Housing Specialist hold a training, please fill out the form below. For assistance with housing discrimination complaints, please fill out our Fair Housing intake form.
Request a Housing Provider Training
We provide training to Maryland housing providers on Fair Housing. Please use this form to request a training for yourself or your staff.