On March 14, 2025, Congress passed a new continuing resolution spending plan to avert a federal government shutdown. To reaffirm, we are not anticipating any disruption to our ability to provide housing assistance to the over 4,388 families we serve at this time. We will continue to provide updates as new information is available.

With the passing of the new spending plan, funding will be extended through September 30, 2025 —the end of the federal fiscal year, allowing for focus and planning to shift to FY 2026.

The continuing resolution passed by Congress included additional funding for Tenant Based Rental Assistance (like the Housing Choice Voucher program) in an effort to maintain current service levels. Once again, we do not anticipate a disruption in BRHP services at this time.

Beyond September, the long-term outlook for federal funding remains unclear. However, rental assistance programs have not been a primary target for budget cuts so far. It is important that decision-makers hear from the communities they serve about the critical need for sustained and increased funding for housing assistance in order to ensure that remains the case. 

We encourage you to contact your Congressional representatives and the Secretary of HUD to advocate for full funding to renew all existing HCV program contracts. You can find their contact information below. 

Thank you for your attention to this important matter – BRHP remains committed to supporting you and will continue to provide updates via email, social media, and on our website as new information becomes available. 

Senate approves funding bill hours before shutdown deadline, sending to Trump for signature – Associated Press

Maryland Congressional Delegation

Senators

ANGELA D. ALSOBROOKS, U.S. Senator from Maryland

(202) 224-4524

Contact: Share your opinion – Senator Angela Alsobrooks

CHRISTOPHER VAN HOLLEN, JR., Esq., U.S. Senator from Maryland

(202) 224-4654

Contact: Email Senator Van Hollen | U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen

Representatives serving the Baltimore Region

ANDREW P. HARRIS, M.D., U.S. Representative, 1st Congressional District (Cecil, Kent, QueenAnne’s, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester & Somerset counties; & parts of Baltimore, Carroll & Harford counties), Maryland)

(202) 225-5311

Contact: Address Lookup | Congressman Andy Harris

JOHN A. OLSZEWSKI, JR., U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District (parts of Baltimore County, Baltimore City, & Carroll County), Maryland

(202) 225-3061

Contact: Address Lookup | Representative Johnny Olszewski

SARAH K. ELFRETH, U.S. Representative, 3rd Congressional District (parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, & Montgomery counties, & Baltimore City), Maryland

(202) 225-4016

Contact: Address Lookup | Representative Sarah Elfreth

GLENN F. IVEY, Esq., U.S. Representative, 4th Congressional District (parts of Anne Arundel & Prince George’s counties), Maryland

(202) 225-8699

Contact: Address Lookup | Congressman Glenn Ivey

STENY HAMILTON HOYER, Esq, U.S. Representative, 5th Congressional District (Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s counties, & parts of Anne Arundel & Prince George’s counties), Maryland

(202) 225-4131

Contact: Address Lookup | Congressman Steny Hoyer

KWEISI MFUME, U.S. Representative, 7th Congressional District (parts of Baltimore City & Baltimore County), Maryland

(202) 225-4741

Contact: Address Lookup | Representative Kweisi Mfume

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

SCOTT TURNER, Secretary

(202) 708-1112

Contact: Webform Contact

JEFFREY D. LITTLE, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing

(202) 708-2601

Contact: jeffrey.d.little@hud.gov

We understand that recent federal budget discussions have raised concerns about the continuity of BRHP’s housing assistance services. We want to assure you that, at this time, we do not anticipate any disruptions in our ability to provide assistance to the 4,388 families we serve. However, given the uncertainties surrounding future federal funding, we would like to share the latest updates and what they may mean for you.   

The continuing resolution (CR) that currently funds the federal government is set to expire on March 14. If Congress does not pass a new spending plan, a partial government shutdown could occur. BRHP is closely monitoring the situation.

Congressional leaders are working to pass a year-long CR that would extend funding at current levels until September 30, 2025—the end of the federal fiscal year. If passed, this would prevent a partial government shutdown and shift focus to planning for FY 2026.

While long-term CRs typically result in reduced services because they do not account for rising costs, the spending bill drafted by the House of Representatives includes additional funding for Tenant Based Rental Assistance (such as the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program), to help maintain current service levels. However, this funding proposal has not yet been approved by Congress.

In the event Congress does not pass a CR in time, BRHP has reserves in place to ensure housing assistance payments continue during a temporary, short-term federal government shutdown. 

Beyond September, the long-term outlook for federal funding remains unclear. However, rental assistance programs have not been a primary target for budget cuts so far. It is important that decision-makers hear from the communities they serve about the critical need for sustained and increased funding for housing assistance in order to ensure that remains the case. 

We encourage you to contact your Congressional representatives and the Secretary of HUD to advocate for full funding to renew all existing HCV program contracts. You can find their contact information below. 

BRHP remains committed to supporting you and will continue to provide updates via email, social media, and on our website as new information becomes available.  Thank you for your attention to this important matter. 

Maryland Congressional Delegation

Senators

ANGELA D. ALSOBROOKS, U.S. Senator from Maryland

(202) 224-4524

Contact: Share your opinion – Senator Angela Alsobrooks

CHRISTOPHER VAN HOLLEN, JR., Esq., U.S. Senator from Maryland

(202) 224-4654

Contact: Email Senator Van Hollen | U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen

Representatives serving the Baltimore Region

ANDREW P. HARRIS, M.D., U.S. Representative, 1st Congressional District (Cecil, Kent, QueenAnne’s, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester & Somerset counties; & parts of Baltimore, Carroll & Harford counties), Maryland)

(202) 225-5311

Contact: Address Lookup | Congressman Andy Harris

JOHN A. OLSZEWSKI, JR., U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District (parts of Baltimore County, Baltimore City, & Carroll County), Maryland

(202) 225-3061

Contact: Address Lookup | Representative Johnny Olszewski

SARAH K. ELFRETH, U.S. Representative, 3rd Congressional District (parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, & Montgomery counties, & Baltimore City), Maryland

(202) 225-4016

Contact: Address Lookup | Representative Sarah Elfreth

GLENN F. IVEY, Esq., U.S. Representative, 4th Congressional District (parts of Anne Arundel & Prince George’s counties), Maryland

(202) 225-8699

Contact: Address Lookup | Congressman Glenn Ivey

STENY HAMILTON HOYER, Esq, U.S. Representative, 5th Congressional District (Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s counties, & parts of Anne Arundel & Prince George’s counties), Maryland

(202) 225-4131

Contact: Address Lookup | Congressman Steny Hoyer

KWEISI MFUME, U.S. Representative, 7th Congressional District (parts of Baltimore City & Baltimore County), Maryland

(202) 225-4741

Contact: Address Lookup | Representative Kweisi Mfume

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

SCOTT TURNER, Secretary

(202) 708-1112

Contact: Webform Contact

JEFFREY D. LITTLE, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing

(202) 708-2601

Contact: jeffrey.d.little@hud.gov

Participants from across the Baltimore region gathered in Annapolis for this empowering day, which began with a formal introduction on the floor of the House of Delegates by Delegate Caylin Young, representing District 45 in Baltimore City and serving on the BRHP Board of Directors. In his remarks, Delegate Young acknowledged the landmark civil rights case Thompson v. HUD, which paved the way for BRHP’s work toward greater housing equity in our region. 

Throughout the day, participants engaged in meaningful conversations with their legislators and staff, sharing personal stories of housing discrimination due to credit history—despite their proven ability to pay rent on time with the help of housing subsidies. Many expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have their voices heard, advocating not only for themselves but for others facing similar barriers.  

Among the powerful testimonies shared, one participant described how her search for a new home has been repeatedly derailed by landlords rejecting her application based solely on her credit score—even though she has never missed a rent payment and has stable housing assistance. Another participant detailed how medical debt from a family emergency severely impacted her credit, making it nearly impossible for her to secure suitable housing for her family. 

These stories underscore the urgent need for HB 896/SB 677. No family should be denied access to safe and stable housing because of arbitrary credit screening practices that fail to reflect their true ability to pay rent. This legislation is a crucial step toward ensuring that low-income families are not unfairly excluded from quality housing opportunities. 

BRHP remains committed to advocating for policies that promote housing access and equity. We thank all participants, legislators, and supporters who made this first Advocacy Day a success, and we look forward to continuing the fight for fair housing in Maryland. 

Click here to learn more about HB 896/SB 677 and to see BRHP Executive Director Adria Crutchfield’s testimony before the Maryland House Environment and Transportation Committee.  

On February 18, BRHP Executive Director Adria Crutchfield testified in support of SB 677/HB 896 to remove barriers to accessing quality housing for families with housing assistance.

Learn more about SB 677/HB 896 by visiting the Maryland General Assembly’s website and reading the testimony below.

For Immediate Release: December 6, 2024
Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership Contact: Emily Hovermale, 667-207-2167, ehovermale@brhp.org

Organization Strengthens Leadership with Expertise in Finance, Marketing, Planning, and Health

Baltimore, MD – The Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) is proud to announce the appointment of six new board members bringing diverse expertise in banking, public health, urban planning, and global marketing to its mission of expanding housing opportunities for low-income families in the Baltimore region. These leaders began their three-year terms on November 16, 2023, and November 21, 2024.

The new board members bring a wealth of experience and a shared dedication to advancing economic mobility, racial equity, and community impact. Their collective expertise reflects the organization’s commitment to addressing complex housing challenges with innovative solutions and strategic leadership.

New Board Members Appointed on November 16, 2023:

Krystal Billups, MPH, Executive Managing Director at Mosaic Group

Megan Haberle, Director of Community Development at Pioneer Valley Planning
Commission

Dwight McTizic, Investment Advisor at PNC Institutional Asset Management

New Board Members Appointed on November 21, 2024:

Ed Brown, Chief Financial Officer at St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore

Mykki Scott, Triage Specialist at Maryland State Office of Health Care Quality,
participant member

Steven C. Walker, Biopharmaceutical Executive and Advisor 

“We are excited to welcome this exceptional group of leaders to the board of directors” said Joshua Civin, BRHP board director and chair. “Their unique perspectives and deep expertise will enhance our ability to serve the community and advance our mission of expanding housing opportunities for families in the region. We look forward to the impact they will have on our work.”

Adria Crutchfield, BRHP executive director added, “Our new board members bring the energy, vision, and commitment needed to deepen our efforts in creating equitable housing opportunities and building stronger communities. I am eager to collaborate with them to drive BRHP into a future of greater impact for our families, community, and nation.”

The new members join BRHP’s 17 existing board directors in guiding the organization’s strategic priorities, including rental assistance, housing mobility counseling, advocacy, and consulting services.

A full list of BRHP’s Board of Directors, visit BRHP’s website here.

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About the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership

The Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) is a non-profit organization that expands housing choices for families with low incomes who have historically been excluded from housing in well-resourced neighborhoods by helping them to access and transition successfully to safe, healthy, and economically vibrant communities. As the Regional Administrator for the Baltimore Housing Mobility Program, BRHP has opened pathways to a better future for low-income families for nearly 10 years. BRHP currently provides over 4,300 low-income families rental assistance in the form of Housing Choice Vouchers, coupling assistance with counseling support for families as they move from areas of concentrated poverty to areas of opportunity in Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties.

October 10 marked another BRHP In Conversation, this time with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Social Science Research Analyst Paul Joice joining BRHP Executive Director Adria Crutchfield to discuss Direct Rental Assistance (DRA) and the ways this innovative model for housing assistance could benefit recipients and landlords, as well as provide a deeper understanding of its origins and differentiation from similar cash assistance pilot programs of the past and present.

Paul Joice’s work involves researching ways to better address the needs of low-income families across the county, and his research has been published in Cityscape, the journal published by the HUD office of Policy Development and Research. Joice led the audience through a primer on Direct Rental Assistance, answering the questions below.  

What is Direct Rental Assistance?

While Direct Rental Assistance can come in many forms and models, in general it is the direct payment of rental assistance to the tenant, rather than to the landlord, modeling the traditional landlord-tenant payment relationship in the free market. Not a standard or universally available assistance model currently, DRA is an experimental concept that is in the process of being tested as a way to provide rental assistance while empowering tenants and removing administrative barriers inherent to current programs.  

What are the origins of the Direct Rental Assistance model?

Direct Rental Assistance has its origins in the 1970s when HUD tested the Experimental Housing Allowance Program (EHAP). EHAP aimed to test various models of housing assistance including direct payments to tenants.

Before fully testing different models, HUD settled on the Section 8 Voucher program as their primary funding model for rental assistance, which remains in effect today as the
modern-day Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Just this year, HUD and Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) celebrated the 50th anniversary of the HCV program, which has been widely acknowledged as an effective program for reducing rent burden, overcrowding, homelessness, and housing instability.

In what ways is Direct Rental Assistance like the Housing Choice Voucher Program?

The Housing Choice Voucher program and Direct Rental Assistance are like close relatives to each other, both aimed at providing assistance to low-income families searching for or retaining housing. What makes the two programs different is that, unlike the HCV program, a participant receiving assistance through DRA would receive the housing assistance payment directly to pay their landlord or property management, removing the PHA or voucher administrator from the relationship between the tenant and landlord. Currently, PHAs send payments to landlords according to a Housing Assistance Payment Contract.

 

What are the potential benefits of Direct Rental Assistance for landlords or prospective tenants?

As Joice notes, “Voucher recipients face the additional barrier of finding units that meet voucher program requirements and are owned by landlords willing to participate in the program.”

DRA has the potential to open the door for tenants who might have otherwise not been able to successfully use a voucher before it expires. Nearly 40% of current HCV recipients fail to successfully use their vouchers with issues of discrimination, limited landlord participation, and limited housing stock being the most common challenges that these tenants face. Direct Rental Assistance can give families more flexibility in choosing where to live by negating some of the common issues above, potentially reducing segregation and allowing access to better neighborhood schools.

Landlords could benefit from DRA through reduced administrative burdens to participate, saving time and additional resources, as well as opening a larger pool of potential tenants, including those who might not have traditional income sources but still need housing.

Would receiving cash assistance through Direct Rental Assistance be considered income, meaning would it impact any other government assistance one may have?

The IRS determined that Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) payments to eligible households during the pandemic should not be considered income. Joice advises that collaboration between providers and including a housing requirement—requiring that DRA be used for housing, requiring the recipient to provide a lease, and setting the subsidy not to exceed the recipient’s rent—should ensure that DRA is considered housing assistance rather than general income.

When could we expect Direct Rental Assistance to be implemented on a greater scale?

Although not completely new, Direct Rental Assistance is under consideration for piloting in many housing programs around the country. From these pilots, evaluators would summarize outcomes and lessons learned to share with HUD for further consideration of DRA on a larger scale.   

Currently, Direct Rental Assistance is not a provided form of assistance in the BRHP Housing Mobility Program, though a pilot program sometime in the future is being considered.

Want to catch the full conversation? Take a moment to watch the full replay on our YouTube channel!

Still curious?

Read more of Paul Joice’s research with HUD’s Cityscape here: Direct Rental Assistance: Returning to the Roots of Housing Allowances

Also check out our previous In Conversation with Dr. Kathryn Anne Edwards, detailing the importance of affordable and quality childcare for families in the United States: BRHP In Conversation: Dr. Kathryn Anne Edwards on the Childcare Crisis

*Views expressed during the BRHP In Conversation are those of the speakers and not necessarily U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development official policies or positions.

Written by — Phillip Clark, Communications Associate