Support and concerns surface at Montgomery County hearing on eviction-notice extension bill

Montgomery County held a public hearing Oct. 28 on expedited bill 31-25, which would require landlords to notify tenants of scheduled evictions at least 14 days before execution and establish penalties for noncompliance. Christine Hong, chief of Services to End and Prevent Homelessness at the Department of Health and Human Services, testified in support and said the additional notice would give households time to seek prevention services or secure relocation assistance.

“Requiring a landlord to provide a household with 14 days notice prior to executing an eviction … not only allows more time to prepare for eviction by finding other living arrangements and storage for furniture and belongings, but even more importantly, it gives a household critically needed time to possibly prevent the eviction,” Hong said, and urged amendments to facilitate timely access to county eviction-prevention services.

Carolyn Burns, representing the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAR), said the bill’s aim is “good and just” but cautioned that additional requirements on housing providers could be burdensome. She suggested better coordination between the sheriff’s office and county agencies to transmit eviction scheduling data rather than creating new duties for landlords.

Harold Hill and Lukman Safay, speaking for community members and the Apwan community, described recent local evictions carried out with little notice and urged the council to adopt the 14-day notice to preserve families’ belongings and stability. Hill said, “14 days gives families a fighting chance,” and described the practical and emotional challenges of short-notice evictions.

The public hearing concluded with no vote; the Planning, Housing and Parks committee will consider the bill at a future work session.