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Advocates urge $50 million for emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention
Summary
Housing Justice Montgomery and other advocates asked the council to allocate roughly $50 million for emergency rental assistance and additional sums for sheltering, rapid rehousing, storage and retrofits, citing projections that 4,723 households may need help at an average grant near $10,581.
Housing advocates urged the Montgomery County Council to allocate large new sums for eviction prevention, emergency rental assistance and related services during the FY26 budget public hearing.
Speakers from Housing Justice Montgomery and allied organizations asked the council to commit about $50,000,000 to serve an estimated 4,723 households expected to need emergency rental assistance in FY26, with an average grant described in testimony at roughly $10,581 per household. Advocates also called for additional funding requests, including $9.5 million for sheltering, $13.8 million for services for people experiencing severe barriers to housing stability, $2.4 million for storage after eviction, and sums to support retrofitting work to improve housing safety and accessibility.
Testimony included personal accounts from residents who had been displaced or lived in substandard units and from nonprofit leaders who said local shelters and rapid‑rehousing programs are already strained. Ibrahim Alash, a 20‑year‑old organizer with Housing Justice Montgomery, and Lokman Safai, who cited layoffs and urgent need, both urged the council to fund prevention and rehousing programs as a matter of public health and moral obligation.
Speakers also asked the council to review sheriff’s office eviction budgeting and reallocate some proposed enforcement funds toward prevention efforts. No formal appropriation or vote was recorded at the hearing; council members will consider budget changes in upcoming committee sessions.
