Howard County leaders unveiled a new initiative to improve the relationship between tenants and landlords, with the ultimate goal of ensuring housing is more stable in the county. 

Some of the measures include streamlining the tenant and landlord complaint process, as well as increasing funding for eviction protections.

Those tasked with helping to take care of these complaints see the positive impact this initiative will have, while one tenant advocate feels it's not going far enough to make a real difference.

Push for stable rental housing

For Jake Burdett, one of the founders of the Howard County Rent Stabilization Coalition, there isn't a renter horror story he hasn't heard of.

"I have come across tenants in this coalition who, when they started with the coalition, [had] a roof over their heads," Burdett said. "Then ended up like me, living in the streets or out in their cars."

The problems haven't slowed down in the county. The Office of Consumer Protection is seeing, on average, 200 landlord-tenant complaints a year, according to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

Ball also said the Department of Inspections, Licenses & Permits typically records more than 2,500 rental housing violations per year.

New measures introduced

Ball and other county leaders announced the Landlord Accountability, Investment in Quality, Victim Protection and Eviction Prevention, or LIVE.

At its core, it bolsters an interagency approach.

"Under LIVE, we will create a shared information and complaint process between our Office of Consumer Protection, our Office of Human Rights & Equity, and our Department of Inspections, Licenses & Permits," Ball said. "This will streamline responses, improve efficiency, and ensure residents are supported, not shuffled."

The LIVE initiative will also update tenant-landlord informational materials to include more resources. Landlords will be required to give them to tenants.

Part of the measures in the initiative will be included in Ball's upcoming FY27 budget, as well as some bills he'll file soon with the Howard County Council.

One of the bills will require landlords to give at least two weeks' notice of an eviction.

"No tenant should have to live in unsafe conditions, and similarly, no landlord should be left without the tools, the clarity, and support to meet their responsibilities," Ball said.

Burdett said he likes the initiative, but argues it doesn't have enough teeth to make systemic changes. He said the county needs to consider taking up rent stabilization again.

"I feel like these are still just very minor, band-aid solutions that fall far short of what's truly needed for renters," Burdett said.

But, for those who deal with these issues on the frontline, like Jackie Scott, the director of the Department of Community Resources and Services, the impact is palpable.

"[Usually] when we're trying to help them, and I'm reaching out [to our partners]...we're in the countdown of days," Scott said. "People's backs are against the wall [at that point]."

Another LIVE initiative measure is doubling eviction prevention funding from $150,000 to $300,000. This is one of the items set to be included in Ball's FY27 budget.