COVID-19 Temporary Rent Support FAQ
How do I apply for the COVID-19 Temporary Rent Support program?
- Tenants with delinquent rent from the months of April, May and/or June 2020 can apply online beginning July 1, 2020. The application process will close on Monday, July 13, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.
Who is eligible?
- In order to be eligible, a household must:
- Be current on rent until at least March 31st.
- Have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Have no other housing subsidy that corresponds to their income level, such as a Housing Choice Voucher or similar subsidy.
- Earn less than 50% of Area Median Income, which means:
- $36,400 per year for a one-person household
$41,600 per year for a two-person household
$46,800 per year for a three-person household
$52,000 per year for a four-person household
$56,200 per year for a five-person household
$60,350 per year for a six-person household
$64,500 per year for a seven-person household
$68,650 per year for an eight-person household
- In addition, the house or apartment unit that the household lives in must be licensed for rental with the City of Baltimore, and the landlord must agree to participate in the program.
Are there priority areas for consideration?
- If DHCD cannot reach every eligible household, the following types of households will be prioritized:
- Households containing families with children under the age of 18.
- Households containing people aged 60 or older.
- Households with three or more people living there
How are people chosen for help?
- DHCD will assess the eligibility of the tenant, whether the unit is licensed, and the landlord concurs with the application.
- If DHCD cannot reach every eligible household with available funding, it will apply preferences among households.
What documents will I need in order to apply?
- Picture IDs for every person on the lease over the age of 18 (such as driver’s license, passport, State ID or Work ID)
- Copy of current Lease, or:
- if no formal lease, proof of payment arrangement with landlord
- If no formal lease, upload a bill in lease holder’s name that shows the property address (i.e. Renters Insurance, BGE, Telephone, Credit Card)
- Income Documentation
- One of these:
- For wage earners, last 2 pay stubs within 30 days prior to COVID-related income loss
- For independent contractors, 1099s forms from your personal tax returns for the most recent tax year, or bank statements showing deposits of income within 30 days prior to your COVID-related income loss
- For self-employed people, 1099 forms or Schedule C from your personal tax return for the most recent tax year, or personal bank account statements showing deposits of income from the business with 30 days prior to your COVID-related income loss
- Information about how the COVID-19 pandemic led to your loss of income:
- Self-certification regarding COVID income impact, which is a document that is provided in the online application for you to sign electronically
- Only if you have received one, Notice of Estimated Benefits form the State of Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (if you have not received such a notice, this document is NOT required)
- You will need to provide a short description of why your income loss is COVID-related as a fill-in box in the application. For explanations involving loss of income from independent contractors or the self-employed, include a statement as to the type of business and how government closure orders affected that business type.
- If applicable to your situation, you will need to upload the following:
- Correspondence from employer stating that the employee is furloughed or laid off, or that hours have been reduced.
- Correspondence from schools or day care facilities about COVID-related closures affecting household members.
- Other correspondence from employers, government or physicians that relates to the reason that your income was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- One of these:
I applied. How much help will I get?
- DHCD will work with eligible tenants and their landlords to satisfy back rent for April, May and June 2020. The amount will depend on whether anyone in the household has been approved for unemployment benefits at the time of application and the amount of delinquent rent in each month.
- If a tenant household has a member approved for unemployment benefits, DHCD will pay the landlord half of the delinquent rent for each month or 80% of the contract rent, whichever is least. The tenant will be expected to pay the other half of that amount.
- If no one in the household has been approved for unemployment benefits, DHCD will pay the full amount of delinquent rent, up to 80% of the contract rent.
- Under the COVID-19 Temporary Rent Support program, the landlord must agree to take 80% of the contract rent as paid-in-full for the months covered by the program.
What if I do not have a lease?
- You may participate if you can provide documentation of your renting arrangement. This may include an expired lease that allows for extensions or month to month tenancy, or receipts for payments made to your landlord for rent.
What if my landlord is not licensed to rent property?
- Your landlord is not eligible to receive assistance under this program. You may be eligible for other types of support from the City and nonprofit service providers. Please complete an intake form for the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of the City of Baltimore at https://www.bmorechildren.com/capservices and follow the links to inquire about Rental Assistance.
What if I have received an eviction notice?
- You are not eligible for this program, since your eviction will be for issues that arose before April 1.
- You may be eligible for other assistance from the City of Baltimore.
- Please complete an intake form for the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of the City of Baltimore at https://www.bmorechildren.com/capservices and follow the links to inquire about Rental Assistance.
How long will this program last?
- COVID-19 Temporary Rent Support is a one-time program created in response to the unique situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, court closures and eviction moratorium.
Will there be another application period?
- DHCD does not anticipate opening a second application period for this program currently. Changes will only be considered to the extent that additional funds become available or changes to the situation leading to the creation of the program. This will be a one-time emergency program, responding to the special situation created by the months-long closure of the courts and eviction moratoria, and DHCD does not intend to repeat it in future years.
How will I know if I am selected for the program?
- You will receive an email with a grant agreement for you and your landlord to sign once your application has been evaluated. This will spell out the contributions expected from all the parties so that everyone understands the arrangement.
- Please monitor the email that you provide in the application closely, for updates from the program
If I am not selected, can I reapply?
- No. This program is a one-time response to a unique situation. However, DHCD may refer you to additional support and services that can be helpful.
I’m a homeowner facing foreclosure. Can you help?
- This program is only for renters. Homeowners may find assistance at https://www.dllr.state.md.us/finance/consumers/frmortgagecovid.shtml
I’m a renter. Are there other programs that can help me?
- If you are not eligible for the Temporary Rent Support program, please complete an intake form for the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of the City of Baltimore at https://www.bmorechildren.com/capservices and follow the links to inquire about Rental Assistance.
What if I am selected but my landlord does not respond to the City or is not willing to agree to the City’s terms?
- If your landlord does not respond or is unwilling to agree to the City’s terms, and moves to evict you from your apartment, you may be eligible for homelessness prevention services from the City of Baltimore.
- If you receive an email notifying you that your landlord has declined to participate, please complete an intake form for the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of the City of Baltimore at https://www.bmorechildren.com/capservices and follow the links to inquire about Rental Assistance.
Are there income guidelines?
- Program participants must earn less than 50% of Area Median Income, which means:
$36,400 per year for a one-person household
$41,600 per year for a two-person household
$46,800 per year for a three-person household
$52,000 per year for a four-person household
$56,200 per year for a five-person household
$60,350 per year for a six-person household
$64,500 per year for a seven-person household
$68,6500 per year for an eight-person household
I usually get paid in cash. How can I report my income to qualify for the program?
In the application, in question E, applicants should select an option for different types of income. People with cash income only should select “Other”, describe their income as cash payments in the "Additional Information" box and provide their annual amount of income. Applicants who do not have pay stubs or bank statements showing income deposits within the last 30 days prior to their COVID-related income loss should upload IRS Form 1040 for the most recent tax year.
If applicants do not have any of this documentation, applicants should complete and submit the Cash Income Self-Verification Form, with supporting documents such as receipts, invoices, letters from employers, canceled checks, sales slips, monthly or quarterly books or ledgers. If no such supporting documentation is available, DHCD will provide Temporary Rent Support only if appropriate funding sources can be made available.
In Section F, on COVID-19 impact, applicants will be asked to provide a brief statement about their type of work and how their ability to earn income was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
What if I lost my income before COVID-19 or my income loss is unrelated to COVID-19?
- You will not be eligible for DHCD’s program, but you may be eligible for other types of support from the City and nonprofit service providers. Please complete an intake form for the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of the City of Baltimore at https://www.bmorechildren.com/capservices and follow the links to inquire about Rental Assistance.
The application information says that I am not eligible if I live in a State assisted building. How will I know?
- You can ask your landlord or property manager whether your building is subsidized by the State of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. If it is, the owner may be able to apply for assistance directly from the State that can eliminate your delinquent rent.
- If you aren’t sure, you can apply for the City’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Rent Support program. DHCD will check on subsidies for which the building is eligible during the application review process.
I have more questions, who can I contact?
- You may call 410-396-3023 or send an email with your questions to DHCD.RentSupport@baltimorecity.gov.