Howard County renters are set to get a little more breathing room, and local nonprofits just scored a long-term home base. County Executive Calvin Ball is scheduled to sign two bills Friday that tighten rules around eviction notices and lock in a decade of funding for the county's NonProfit Collaborative center. County officials say both moves are part of a larger push to blunt housing instability in Howard County.
Stronger notice for renters
Under CB12-2026, landlords must give tenants at least 14 days' written notice before a warrant of restitution is issued, and that notice has to spell out the date the eviction is scheduled to be carried out. The bill also tells landlords how to deliver that information: send the notice by mail, post it on the unit's door, and, when possible, back it up with an email or text. It must also include a link to a county webpage with eviction resources.
Violations could bring a civil penalty of up to $500 per violation, according to the legislative record from the Howard County Council.
Decade of rent subsidy for nonprofit hub
The companion measure, CB11-2026, signs off on a multi-year grant agreement between Howard County and the Howard County Housing Commission to subsidize office space for the NonProfit Collaborative. The deal authorizes roughly $4,649,128 in rent subsidy to support a 10-year lease running from 2027 through 2036, and Ball is expected to sign the bills on Friday, according to CBS Baltimore.
The agreement replaces a similar 10-year arrangement that expires in 2026 and is intended to keep the collaborative's co-located services stable for another decade.
What the NonProfit Collaborative does
The NonProfit Collaborative pulls a cluster of human-service organizations into one shared space so residents can more easily tap housing, legal, and social services in a single stop. The collaborative currently operates from offices in Columbia and, as reported by The Business Monthly, includes about a dozen nonprofit tenants with plans to expand its footprint to add more organizations and shared meeting space.
Supporters argue that this co-location model cuts down on the runaround for residents who need a mix of services quickly.
Where this fits in HoCo's housing agenda
County leaders are folding both bills into the broader LIVE initiative, short for Landlord accountability, Investment in quality, Victim protection, and Eviction prevention. The package aims to boost rental housing accountability and tenant protections across the board.
The initiative also includes an executive order focused on habitability and steps to strengthen interagency coordination and complaint processing, according to a county policy summary reported by Conduit Street. Advocates say extending notice timelines gives tenants a crucial two-week window to line up legal help, rental assistance or both. The legislation also directs the Office of Consumer Protection to maintain an online resource hub for tenants.
How to get help
Tenants facing eviction can reach out to Howard County's Office of Consumer Protection for landlord-tenant guidance and referrals to local rental-assistance programs and legal aid. The county's landlord-tenant information and resource list is posted on the Office of Consumer Protection website, which also outlines mediation options and community referrals. The Office can be contacted through the county site listed there.
For statewide referrals and emergency help, residents can also call 2-1-1 Maryland.
