ACDS Eviction Prevention Program

EVICTION PREVENTION ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE

FOR RENTERS AT HIGHEST RISK OF EVICTION

(Effective January 1, 2024, subject to change as resources and circumstances require.)

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Anne Arundel County Eviction Prevention Program administered by ACDS is not a long term rental assistance program . The Program provides limited eviction prevention funds to prevent the eviction of eligible low income individuals and families who have experienced an unexpected financial hardship that has temporarily prevented their ability to pay rent and put them at risk of imminent eviction and homelessness. The Program is intended to ensure that one financial crisis does not result in the eviction and homelessness of individuals and families who can otherwise manage their rent payments. This Program does not provide ongoing rental assistance to supplement the incomes of households that have inadequate income to sustain their monthly rent. Individuals and families who are not eligible for this Program and are either homeless or about to be homeless may contact the Anne Arundel County 24/7 Community Warmline at 410-768-5522.

TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION FOR RENTERS AT RISK OF EVICTION

EVICTION PREVENTION FUNDING IS NOT GUARANTEED TO PREVENT EVICTION: Even if you are eligible for Eviction Prevention funds, this Program may not be able to prevent your eviction. Timing sometimes works against us, landlords don’t always participate in the Program or cooperate in a timely manner, and other factors can result in an eviction date occurring before an Eviction Prevention payment can be made. Therefore, a ll applicants are strongly encouraged to look for other resources while waiting for their application to be processed and to pay at least the amount of rent needed to “pay and stay” in their current housing if possible.

SEARCH FOR OTHER RESOURCES IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ACDS FUNDING IN THE PAST 15 MONTHS: If you have received emergency rental assistance within the past 15 months , 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 , you may be eligible to apply for Eviction Prevention Funds.

Requirements to be eligible to apply for Eviction Prevention Funds:

1. Applicant cannot have received emergency rental assistance or eviction prevention funds through the ACDS Eviction Prevention Program within the past 15 months. If you have received assistance in the past and are unsure of how long ago you received that assistance, ACDS staff can confirm the timing of any prior assistance you may have received.
   
2. Applicant must be scheduled by the Sheriff for evictionor 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.
   
3. Applicant’s rental property must be located in Anne Arundel County.
4. Applicant must be an Anne Arundel County resident who has experienced a documented financial hardship out of the applicant’s control which has caused a temporary inability to pay rent . Documentation of a temporary financial hardship out of the applicant’s control may include but is not limited to proof of a history of making regular monthly rental payments prior to the financial hardship, lay off notice , accident report , medical reports (subject to applicable HIPAA limitations), etc.
5. Applicant’s total household income must be at or below 50% of Adjusted Median Income (“AMI”) for Anne Arundel County, and the household must have no other resources which could be used to pay the past due rent. Documentation of income and resources is required.
6. ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY DOES NOT GUARANTEE ELIGIBILITY FOR EVICTION PREVENTION FUNDS. See additional information regarding limits on financial assistance and important program policies below.

LIMITS ON FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND IMPORTANT PROGRAM POLICIES

1. Eviction Prevention funds will be paid on behalf of an applicant household only if the payment will prevent eviction of the household. If Eviction Prevention Program Funds would not prevent eviction due to limits on the amount allowed or for any other reason, then the household is ineligible for assistance.
2. The maximum payment allowed is the amount needed to prevent evictionor$7,500, whichever is lower.
3. If the maximum allowable payment is not enough to prevent eviction, then no Eviction Prevention funds will be paidunless the applicant household first provides documentation confirming that payment to the landlord in the additional amount needed to prevent eviction has been paid in full.
4. If 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 a maximum of three months’ rent. The $7,500 maximum payment per application applies, and no Eviction Prevention funds will be paid unless the applicant household first provides documentation confirming that payment to the landlord in any additional amount needed to prevent eviction has been paid in full. 2024 Small Area Fair Market Rent may be found by zip code on the HUD website at: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2024_code/2024summary_sa.odn.

HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR ASSISTANCE

If you meet the requirements to apply noted above, send an email to ACDS at evictionprevention@acdsinc.org, including the following information and documentation:

1. The renter’s name should be noted in the Subject Line. Include the eviction date in the Subject Line if an eviction is scheduled.
2. Include the following information regarding the renter:

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Email address (email must be sent from the tenant’s email address – this is where the response will be sent)
• Attach at least one of the following documents:
  • Notice of Eviction Date from the Sheriff
  • Warrant of Restitution/Warrant for Possession
  • Copy of Judgment for Possession within the past 60 days in favor of current landlord (the Failure to Pay Rent paper, signed by a judge after a hearing).

  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.

  ASSISTANCE IS NOT GUARANTEED: Even if a tenant is facing imminent eviction, eviction prevention assistance is dependent upon confirmation of the renter household’s eligibility for the Eviction Prevention Program. Assistance is also subject to funding availability , limits on the maximum amount of assistance, limits on the number of months of assistance allowed and any other programmatic limitations on payments.

  ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS AND INFORMATION REGARDING THE ACDS EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM

  NO PAYMENTS FOR PAST DUE UTILITIES UNLESS INCLUDED IN THE RENT: For information regarding assistance with past due utility bills, click here: https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/how-do-you-apply/

  NOT A LONG TERM FINANCIAL RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: The Eviction Prevention Program is not a long term rental assistance program. The Program provides eviction prevention assistance for eligible renters who have experienced an unexpected financial hardship which is/was out of the renter’s control and is intended to help households overcome a temporary shortage of funds for rent. If the household has inadequate income to sustain their monthly rent, the household is ineligible for assistance under the Eviction Prevention Program and will be referred to a more appropriate resource for assistance, if available.

  NO PAYMENT TO PRIOR LANDLORDS: The Eviction Prevention Program does not pay past due rent for tenants who have already been evicted, who have already vacated their unit, or whose landlord intends to evict soon after the payment would be made. Eviction Prevention funds are used only to prevent evictions.
  

  POLICIES REGARDING LANDLORD-TENANT FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS:

  • Applicants 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.

    PROSPECTIVE RENT: Under very limited circumstances, the Eviction Prevention Program may provide up to one (1) month’s prospective (future) rent if the payment is necessary to maintain housing stability AND the payment would not cause the household to exceed the maximum allowable payment for the Program.

    WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE! We understand this is a stressful time, and we are working hard to get to everyone as quickly as possible.

    ________________________________________________________________________________________________

    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. You will find them in the court house daily during Failure to Pay Rent hearings, but they prefer to hear from you in advance. 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”

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    How the Eviction Prevention Program Works

    Eligible Applicants

    1. Must be Anne Arundel County residents with total household income of 50% or less of the Adjusted Median Income for Anne Arundel County
    2. Must not have enough income, saving, assets or other resources to pay amount needed to prevent eviction
    3. Must have a judgment for possession for failure to pay rent entered against them within the past 60 days, or an active Warrant for Possession, or eviction date scheduled by the Sheriff
    4. Must be living in the home for which they are seeking eviction prevention assistance
    5. Must have experienced an unexpected, temporary financial hardship out of their control which has prevented them from keeping up on their rent and puts them at risk of eviction

    How to Apply

    You must receive pre-approval to submit an application by sending an email with supporting documentation establishing that you are at imminent risk of eviction to evictionprevention@acdsinc.org.

    If you have received assistance within the past 15 months, you are not eligible for additional assistance at this time.

    Required Documentation

    Applicants must provide supporting documentation, including, but not limited to the following:

    1. Verification of household income (i.e. W-2, pay-stubs and/or tax returns, bank statements)
    2. Judgment for Possession, warrant for possession, or notice from the Sheriff that the household has been scheduled for eviction
    3. Rental/lease agreement or sublease
    4. Photo identification for all adult members of household
    5. Documentation that the applicant household experienced an unexpected event out of the applicant’s control which caused temporary loss of income and resulted in the household’s inability to pay rent

    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 for 2023-24, adjusted for household size.

    Household Size	Income Limit
    1	$42,600
    2	$48,700
    3	$54,800
    4	$60,850
    5	$65,750
    6	$70,600
    7	$75,500