By Kayla Williams, Deputy Director
Now that Maryland’s 2024 legislative session has concluded, I thought this would be a good opportunity to summarize some of the important housing bills that passed, most of which will take effect in October 2024. This year, Governor Wes Moore unveiled his Housing legislative package which included several bills aimed to positively impact affordable housing and tenants’ rights. HB 693, also known as the Renter’s Rights and Stabilization Act, provides several key protections for renters including establishing an Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs to provide renters with information about their rights, requiring that a Maryland Tenant Bill of Rights be created, reducing required security deposits to one month instead of two, and perhaps most significantly, this legislation will increase eviction filing fees to put Maryland more in line with other states. CLS and many other legal advocates testified in favor of this bill, and we are very pleased with its passage. HB 1117, the Tenant Safety Act, strengthens Maryland’s rent escrow laws by allowing tenants living in the same building to join together to file a case against landlords who fail to fix conditions that threaten the life, health and safety of the occupants. HB 428, a bill that CLS also testified on, will allocate $10 million to prevent evictions and homelessness for thousands of Maryland families. Lastly, SB 0019 will require District Courts to shield Failure to Pay Rent court records that did not result in a judgment within 60 days from the final resolution of the case, this bill also allows the court to shield Failure to Pay Rent cases that resulted in a judgment in certain circumstances.
CLS will hold a community roundtable on June 27th from 5:30 PM to 7 PM at the Capital Office Park Conference Center, Lobby Level, located at 6404 Ivy Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served. This event will convene community leaders, legal professionals, philanthropists, and like-minded individuals with the overarching goal of fostering broader collaborations and connections among those committed to promoting access to justice and legal assistance for underserved populations in Maryland. To RSVP, please contact Simone Joye, Director of Development and Communications at Joye@clspgc.org, (240) 571-1326.
Pro Bono Call to Action
The Maryland Attorney General, Maryland Judiciary, Maryland State Bar Association and Maryland’s Access to Justice Commission have delivered an urgent call to action for pro bono services. Attorneys are strongly encouraged to take at least one pro bono case or a designated number of pro bono service hours over the next year to provide legal services in areas including housing and family law. All Pro Bono providers in Maryland, including CLS, are taking part in this call to action. The Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland is helping to implement this call to action by matching interested attorneys with pro bono organizations throughout the state. For more information, visit probonomd.org.
Eviction Prevention Programs
CLS is seeking attorneys to provide representation to tenants at their Failure to Pay Rent hearings through our same-day tenant representation programs which operate in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties. Stipends are available. CLS provides training, malpractice insurance coverage, mentoring, and support to our volunteers. Out-of-state attorneys are welcomed. CLS and the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland have put together a training on how to represent tenants. This training includes statutes that attorneys should be familiar with, perspectives from the judiciary and landlord and tenant attorney advocates, issue spotting in Failure to Pay Rent complaints, and practical advice for handling cases. If you wish to take this training, have questions about the program, or want to sign up to represent tenants at their hearings, please contact Kayla Williams-Campbell, Esq. at williams@clspgc.org. Participating attorneys must commit to volunteer to staff two clinics or take two landlord/tenant cases within one year of completing the training.
Beyond this volunteer commitment, a stipend of $100* will be provided to attorneys in exchange for their representation, with a potential maximum of $200 per day. *$100 per half day in court (AM or PM sessions)
Interpreters Needed
CLS is in need of interpreters to assist attorneys representing Limited English proficient clients. Training is available and no prior experience is required. We pay $30 per hour and up to 30 hours per case. For more information, please email info@clspgc.org.
Civil Cases Available for Attorneys and Other Volunteer Opportunities
Through our Lawyer Referral Program, we refer income eligible clients to attorneys for representation in their domestic cases. Our Judicare program provides funding to pay attorneys $120 per hour, and up to $4,200 per case, with a cap of 35 hours. CLS allows you to bill twice during the case. CLS invoices Maryland Legal Services Corporation for your billed time. As a result, Judicare payments are usually paid a month after an invoice is submitted. CLS uses Bill.com which allows for electronic payment for invoices. This funding program is administered by MLSC with funds from the Administrative Office of the Courts.
Foreclosure Prevention Program
CLS has funding for attorneys representing clients in Prince George’s County through our Foreclosure Prevention Program. In foreclosure prevention cases, the funding provides attorneys $120 an hour and up to thirty (30) hours of representation. Cases include representation at judicial proceedings, mediation preparation, representation at mediation, and negotiations. Additionally, funding is available for bankruptcy chapter 7, and other legal actions that may help the client save his home. If you are interested in being added to our foreclosure volunteer attorney pool, or require additional information, please email us at info@clspgc.org. Training, mentoring and malpractice insurance are provided. Funding is available from a generous grant provided by MLSC.
Domestic Violence Wellness Program
Are you interested in building your practice by adding Protective and Peace Orders? Training is available. CLS’s domestic violence program places protective order and peace order petitioners and respondents with attorneys. CLS will provide mentoring to help you prepare your case. You will also be able to shadow one of the staff attorneys during Protective and Peace Order hearings. CLS’s Domestic Violence Legal Wellness Program places protective order cases, petitioners and respondents with attorneys. Attorneys are eligible to receive $120 per hour with a cap of $750 per case. We ask that for each case that an attorney takes paid, that the attorney also takes one pro bono. Please contact Ivy Finkenstadt Esq., at finkenstadt@clspgc.org for more information.
Concluding Thoughts
CLS clients have limited means, but that does not negate the fact that they have significant legal issues that require legal representation. We encourage you to help bridge the Access to Justice gap by taking Judicare and pro bono cases. CLS provides our attorneys with training, mentoring, access to a litigation fund, and malpractice insurance. To join our volunteer pool, please apply on our website at www.clspgc.org or contact info@clspgc.org.
Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County, Inc., is a non-profit organization established to provide quality legal services to low-income residents of Prince George’s County, MD. CLS provides direct legal services through the generous contributions of members of the private bar. For more information about our funder, Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC) and our Judicare Program, visit www.mlsc.org.
