Here are the eight Maryland counties that qualify for rental assistance.
WASHINGTON — Rental assistance applications to support children enrolled in community schools are open in eight Maryland counties, Maryland Gov. Moore announced on Wednesday.
Moore signed Community Schools Rental Assistance Program into law last year, with the Democratic governor touting the measure as a boon to children’s growth and development and as a means to prevent homelessness.
“CSRAP will help vulnerable students and their families threatened with housing instability keep a roof over their heads,” Moore said. “This is a collaborative, interagency initiative, that brings together housing supports, educators and community partners in order to bolster our administration’s mission of ending child poverty.”
Distributed by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, CSRAP funds can go toward past due rent, late fees, eviction court fees, moving costs, utilities and first month’s rent, among other housing-related costs.
In Maryland, community schools are schools that receive Concentration of Poverty Grants. As of 2023, there were 358 community schools in Maryland, including 320 inside counties that now qualify for CSRAP.
Those who qualify for the Community Schools Rental Assistance Program may be eligible for up to 15 months of assistance.
How to qualify for CSRAP:
Below are the requirements for the rental assistance program as spelled out by Maryland.gov.
- Have a student enrolled in a Community School living in your home.
- Have the student enrolled in one of the participating jurisdictions — see the above image.
- Be renting your home or trying to rent a new home (homeowners are not eligible for assistance)?
- Be experiencing housing instability such as homelessness, at risk of eviction, utility shut off or be behind in paying rent or utilities.
Carey Wright, who serves as the Maryland Superintendent of Schools, also praised CSRAP on Wednesday.
“Community schools exist to remove barriers to learning so that every child can focus on thriving in the classroom and beyond,” Wright said. “When families have stable housing, children can stay in their schools and maintain their relationships with educators, mentors and friends. CSRAP is a powerful example of how Maryland aligns efforts to meet the whole needs of our students and their families.”