Moore-Miller Administration Announces Funding for Eviction and Homelessness Prevention Through Community Schools Rental Assistance Program

FRUITLAND, MD (October 28, 2026) – Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day today announced $12.1 million in Fiscal Year 2027 awards through the Community Schools Rental Assistance Program to six organizations across Maryland. The program provides emergency financial support for families and students who are enrolled in Community Schools that are experiencing homelessness or at risk for housing instability. The Secretary also announced a new interactive data dashboard tracking impacts and outcomes of the first round of the program.

“Housing is a human right, and the Moore-Miller Administration believes every family deserves the stability and peace of mind that comes with having a place to call home,” said Secretary Day. “The Community Schools Rental Assistance Program helps make that possible by keeping families stably housed so children can focus on learning, growing and reaching their full potential. Thanks to Governor Moore and the General Assembly, increased funding for this important program will allow us to serve more Maryland families as we work to leave no one behind.”

The Community Schools Rental Assistance Program, created by Senate Bill 370 / House Bill 428 and signed into law by Governor Moore in 2024, helps families and students enrolled in community schools with emergency financial support. Program funds can help eligible families pay for past due rent or utility bills—including late fees and court fees related to eviction—as well as costs related to renting a new home, including moving fees, security and utility deposits, and first month’s rent. 

The Moore-Miller Administration awarded $5 million during the Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2026 rounds of the program, providing critical housing aid to 1,190 households and 4,209 individuals across 384 Community Schools statewide. For the Fiscal Year 2027 round, the department will award $12.1 million in funding to six grantees, more than doubling the investment from each of the prior funding years. This funding is anticipated to serve more than 2,100 households in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Washington and Wicomico counties and Baltimore City. 

The Maryland State Department of Education provided key data to prioritize funding areas, guided the program design and alignment with community school strategy, and supported partnership development meetings between each local school district and the rental assistance organization in their county. 

“Maryland’s community schools are strongest when families have the stability and support they need to thrive,” said Dr. Carey M. Wright, State Superintendent of Schools. “We are proud to partner with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the Governor’s Office for Children to ensure rental assistance reaches the students and communities most in need. By aligning this program with our community school strategy and providing data to guide funding decisions, the Maryland State Department of Education is helping to remove barriers to learning, giving every child the opportunity to succeed.”

This investment is targeted to support the administration’s work to end childhood poverty and drive economic mobility through partnership with the Governor’s Office for Children. Recipients of the program have worked with participating community-based organizations in Maryland’s ENOUGH Initiative to ensure resources quickly and effectively reach families. In the first round of the program, $2.7 million in assistance was provided to 341 households located in ENOUGH-eligible communities.

“Through the ENOUGH Initiative, schools and community-based organizations are building more comprehensive supports for families in need." said Governor’s Office for Children Special Secretary Carmel Martin  “As a result, these funds are being strategically deployed to prevent families from falling into homelessness and children from falling behind.  This collective response is a product of Maryland’s all-of-government approach to fight child poverty and ensure state resources and programs effectively reach the people they’re intended to serve.” 

To highlight the impact of the investment, the department hosted an announcement event in Wicomico County in partnership with program grantee Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County. In the first program cycle, 98 households and 350 people were served across 19 Community Schools in Wicomico County. 

“We are thrilled that our elected officials both here and across the bridge recognized the importance of keeping families housed,” said Molly Hilligoss, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County. “In Wicomico County, continued funding of the Community Schools Rental and Utility assistance program is a critical piece of the complex housing puzzle that we navigate daily. We can’t wait to get started with this new funding cycle to ease the burden and help stabilize families.”

The Community Schools Rental Assistance Program is managed by the Department’s Division of Homeless Solutions. The division administers more than $50 million annually to support outreach, legal services, housing counseling, eviction prevention, emergency rental assistance, shelter construction and operations, and other safety net programs. For more information about the program and how to apply, visit the Community Schools Rental Assistance Program webpage.