Affordable Housing in Baltimore, MD

This page collects the specific programs, agencies, phone numbers, and rules that apply in Baltimore City and the surrounding metro — not generic Section 8 advice. Two things stand out for Baltimore: Maryland passed statewide source-of-income protection in 2020 (it is illegal for a landlord to refuse your voucher), and the state's Access to Counsel in Evictions law gives eligible tenants free attorneys in eviction cases. The named resources below are where to start.

Emergency Help Tonight in Baltimore

If you need a safe place to sleep tonight or are facing an imminent eviction, these are the local resources to contact first:

• Helping Up Mission — one of Baltimore's largest shelters, with men's and (since 2022) women+children programs, plus spiritual recovery. helpingup.org
• Sarah's Hope (Mercy Hospital) — emergency shelter for women and children
• Salvation Army Baltimore Area Command — emergency shelter, food, and rental assistance at multiple sites
• Beans & Bread (St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore) — downtown day shelter with meals, showers, mail, and case management
• Project PLASE — emergency and supportive housing for vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ+ adults and people with HIV/AIDS
• House of Ruth Maryland — domestic violence shelter and 24-hour crisis line: (410) 889-7884. Bilingual advocates
• Health Care for the Homeless — medical, behavioral health, and housing navigation services. hchmd.org
• Baltimore Mayor's Office of Homeless Services — Code Blue/Code Red shelters — activated during extreme weather. Call 311 in Baltimore City to access
• 211 Maryland — free 24/7 information line for shelters, food, financial assistance, and social services

For a full walkthrough of finding shelter the first night, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

Section 8 in Baltimore: HABC Status and How to Apply

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Baltimore City are administered by the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC). Current status (May 2026):

• The HCVP Tenant-Based waitlist is closed as of May 2026. The most recent opening ran October 2–13, 2023 and accepted 27,842 applications. No current reopening scheduled — watch habc.org/hcvp/tb-waiting-list
• The 2026 Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Waiting List opened January 14, 2026 (9:00 AM) through January 23, 2026 (11:59 PM) — that window has closed. Watch the HABC website for the next PBV opening. PBV lists tie to specific properties
• Public Housing through HABC — a separate program with its own waitlist
• Other special programs: Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), HUD-VASH for veterans, Mainstream vouchers for non-elderly people with disabilities — separate referral processes
• Apply to neighboring authorities too: Baltimore County Department of Housing & Community Development (separate from the city), Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County, and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (statewide) run separate lists
• Status check: call HABC at 410-396-3232 if you've already applied and need to verify your position on the list

For the national application process, see our step-by-step Section 8 guide and how to find your PHA.

Emergency Rental Assistance in Baltimore (Named Programs)

If you're behind on rent or can't pay this month, these are the local programs currently operating in Baltimore. Funding shifts month to month — always call to confirm current availability:

• Baltimore City Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) — make an appointment by calling 443-423-6400 to get help with the application and check eligibility
• Strategic Targeted Eviction Prevention (STEP) — United Way of Central Maryland — targeted rent help and stabilization for tenants facing eviction. uwcm.org/step
• Maryland Community School Facilities Program — established by the Maryland General Assembly in 2024 to provide rental and utility assistance for families with children enrolled in community schools
• Maryland Legal Aid — Tenant Right to Counsel Project (TRCP) — combines free legal representation with referrals to rental assistance. Apply through 211 (choose evictions) or directly at mdlab.org
• Public Justice Center — Baltimore-based tenant advocacy and impact litigation. publicjustice.org
• Civil Justice Inc. — represents tenants in evictions, foreclosure defense, and consumer protection. civiljusticeinc.org
• Economic Action MD Fund — eviction prevention assistance and tenant advocacy. econaction.org
• Catholic Charities of Baltimore — emergency financial assistance, food, immigration legal services, and case management. Spanish-language services available
• St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore — one-time emergency rental and utility help through Beans & Bread and other locations
• Salvation Army of Central Maryland — eviction prevention assistance and utility help

Federal pandemic ERAP has ended

The federal pandemic Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds distributed through Maryland and Baltimore City have closed. The City of Baltimore ERAP continues with local funding, but funding levels are lower. Don't waste time on old 2021–2023 application portals — call 443-423-6400 to get current status.

Utility assistance: OHEP

Maryland's LIHEAP is called the Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP). It includes the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) and the Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP). Apply through your local DHCD office or call 211. Lowering your utility bill frees up cash for rent.

Tenant Rights in Baltimore & Maryland

Maryland has built up some of the strongest tenant protections in the Mid-Atlantic — Baltimore was the first major U.S. city to enact local Right to Counsel, then the state expanded it. Knowing both layers is essential:

• Source-of-income protection is the law statewide: Maryland HB 78 (2020) made it illegal statewide for a landlord to refuse a Section 8 voucher or other government rental subsidy. If a Baltimore landlord tells you they "don't take Section 8," that's a Maryland Commission on Civil Rights violation. File at mccr.maryland.gov
• Maryland Access to Counsel in Evictions Act (2021): eligible low-income tenants in eviction proceedings get free legal representation from Maryland Legal Aid or partner organizations. Apply through 211 (choose evictions) or contact Maryland Legal Aid directly. This grew out of Baltimore City's pioneering 2020 Right to Counsel ordinance
• 10-day notice for nonpayment (Real Property §8-401) — moderate among states. Use those days to apply to ERAP and contact Maryland Legal Aid
• 30-day notice for month-to-month termination from either party
• Security deposit cap: Maryland limits the deposit to 2 months' rent (Real Property §8-203). The deposit must be held in a separate interest-bearing account, with interest paid to the tenant. Return within 45 days of move-out with itemized deductions
• Warranty of habitability: Real Property §8-211 requires landlords to maintain serious life, health, and safety conditions. Tenants can use the rent escrow remedy if landlords fail to repair after written notice. Baltimore Housing Inspections handles code complaints
• Retaliatory eviction is illegal under Real Property §8-208.1 if the landlord acts in response to tenant complaints to officials, joining a tenants' association, or exercising legal rights
• Self-help eviction is illegal: Maryland prohibits lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removal of belongings. The landlord must use the Rent Court process at District Court of Maryland
• Eviction sealing: Maryland law allows certain eviction filings to be shielded from background-check companies, especially nonpayment cases where the tenant paid. Maryland Legal Aid can petition
• Fair housing: Maryland protects more classes than federal law — including source of income, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and physical or mental disability. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights handles complaints

For free legal help: Maryland Legal Aid (Baltimore office), Public Justice Center, Civil Justice Inc., and Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland all serve Baltimore tenants. For state-level details, see our Maryland housing resources. If you experience discrimination, see how to file a housing discrimination complaint.

Other Housing Programs in Baltimore

• Public housing: HABC owns public-housing communities and RAD-converted properties across Baltimore. Application is separate from Section 8
• LIHTC (Tax Credit): privately owned income-restricted apartments. Baltimore has substantial LIHTC inventory, much of it through community development corporations. Search HUD's LIHTC database for properties in Baltimore City. See how to find LIHTC housing
• Baltimore Affordable Housing Trust Fund — city-funded financing for affordable housing development; new income-restricted units come online each year
• HUD-VASH (veterans): combines a voucher with VA case management. Baltimore-area veterans are referred through the VA Maryland Health Care System (Loch Raven, Perry Point, Baltimore). See how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Rapid Rehousing & Permanent Supportive Housing — coordinated through the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services. Access via 211 or 311
• Maryland DHCD programs — Maryland Mortgage Program, down-payment assistance, and the new Renters' Property Tax Credit. dhcd.maryland.gov
• HUD-approved housing counseling: find a counselor through the HUD counselor locator — Belair-Edison Neighborhoods Inc. and St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center cover Baltimore

Next Steps

Not sure which program is right for you? Our Where to Start tool asks a few quick questions about your situation — emergency vs. long-term, family vs. individual, employed vs. on benefits — and routes you to the right combination of programs. It takes about two minutes.

If you received eviction paperwork, call 211 and choose evictions, or apply directly to Maryland Legal Aid — you may qualify for free legal representation under Maryland's Access to Counsel in Evictions law. If a landlord told you they "don't take Section 8," file a complaint with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights — that refusal is illegal statewide.