March 31, 2022
Now is the time for the Maryland General Assembly to ensure fair hearings for renters facing eviction. We are thrilled that the Senate passed all four of our priority bills. We now call on House leadership to bring #HousingVotesNow with enough time to override any veto from Governor Hogan.
Each of these legislative priorities strives for an equitable economic future in which renters are assured due process in Maryland’s streamlined eviction processes.
- SB 384/HB 674: Pause evictions and put rental assistance to work.
- SB 563/HB 703: Block unlicensed landlords from using rapid eviction process.
- SB 564/HB 691: Ensure day-of-trial access to eviction prevention services.
- SB 662/HB 724: Fund the Access to Counsel in Evictions program.
Here’s what you can do to take action:
1. Retweet Renters United Maryland, including these highlighting CASA’s member stories and calling on Speaker Jones and Chair Barve to pass this important emergency legislation.
2. If you haven’t already done so, fill out this action alert and share it.
3. Make calls and get others to make calls to key legislators:
- Environment & Transportation Committee Chair, Kumar Barve, at 410-841-3990 and say: My name is _________, and I’m calling to urge Chair Barve to put SB 384 on the vote list today. Time is running out and families are being evicted every day while waiting for rental assistance from our government. That’s bad public policy. I hope to see the chair prioritize passing this bill as soon as possible.
- Judiciary Committee Chair, Luke Clippinger, at 410-841-3488 and say: My name is _________, and I’m calling to urge Chair Clippinger to put SB 563 and SB 564 on the vote list today. Time is running out and these are common sense policies that provide due process for renters and uphold existing housing safety laws. I hope to see the chair prioritize passing these bills as soon as possible.
- House Speaker, Adrienne Jones, at 410-841-3800 and say: My name is _________, and I’m calling to urge Speaker Jones to lead the House in passing SB 384, SB 563, SB 564, and SB 662 with enough time to override any vetos from Governor Hogan. Time is running out and these are common sense policies that allow government resources to have their intended impact, provide due process for renters, and uphold existing housing safety laws. I hope to see Speaker Jones work with her chairs to prioritize passing these bills as soon as possible.
Thank you!
