Governor Larry Hogan (R) announced a $30 million rental assistance program to prevent evictions and help Marylanders affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The State’s allocation of $20 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) COVID funding will be deployed across local jurisdictions in Maryland to provide further support for local eviction prevention programs. The other $10 million will allow Community Development Administration (CDA) to create the Assisted Housing Relief Program, which will help eliminate rental debt for tenants that are delinquent because of financial troubles caused by the public health crisis. Those funds will be available to property owners with CDA financing, and the funding will go directly to the property owner on behalf of the impacted tenants. The program is expected to open in July with funds distributed in August.