Credit screening is one of the most common tools used in tenant screening. But credit checks don’t account for the income stability provided to families with housing assistance like the Housing Choice Voucher. Too often this practice reinforces economic disparities and limits access to safe, stable homes for those who need them most.

That needs to change.

Families shouldn’t be denied the opportunity to rent because of credit screening that doesn’t reflect their actual ability to pay rent.

We need your voice to let decision makers in the Maryland General Assembly know that you want their support in removing barriers that make it harder for families with housing assistance to find safe and stable homes using the four simple steps below. To learn more about BRHP’s advocacy efforts in support of HB 315/SB 335, check out our fact sheet on the bill and watch BRHP Executive Director, Adria Crutchfield’s testimony at the Senate hearing last week.

Share your support for HB 315/SB 335 TODAY!

1) Use the letter template below to craft your message.

2) Use the Maryland General Assembly Find My Representatives look up tool to enter your home address and find your Maryland Legislative District Representatives. Click here.

3) Use the tool on the Maryland General Assembly website to email your State Senator and State Delegates by clicking “Email” beside “Contact Checked Legislators”

4) Your email browser will open, and you can copy your message into the body of the email. Give your email a subject like “Support for HB 315/SB 335” and send.

Email Template

Dear Members of the Committee, 

My name is [Name], and I am [identification like “a Maryland resident” or “resident of a specific town”]. I am writing to express my strong support for the passage of HB 315/SB 335, legislation that strengthens Maryland’s source of income protections by clarifying appropriate screening practices for renters who use income-based housing assistance.  

[ENCOURAGED PERSONAL STORY SECTION] (One short paragraph)

I would like to begin by briefly sharing why this bill matters to me: 

[Insert a personal story, experience, or explanation of why fair screening practices are important to you, your family, your organization, or your community. Examples: difficulty finding housing due to credit screening; or a general reason for caring about fair housing.] 

Families relying on Housing Choice Vouchers and other income-based subsidies frequently encounter credit and income screening practices that effectively shut them out of rental housing even though their rent is largely covered by the housing subsidy and any amount they pay is capped for affordability. As the bill recognizes, this undermines both the purpose of housing assistance and the intent of the state’s source of income protections.  

By clarifying appropriate screening practices, HB 315/SB 335 preserves landlords’ ability to assess tenant suitability while ensuring that criteria are relevant, fair, and aligned with the structure of housing assistance. This legislation helps reduce avoidable denials, shortens housing searches, and strengthens stability for families across the state.  

For these reasons, I respectfully ask for your support for HB 315/SB 335.

Sincerely, 

[Name] 
[Organization, if applicable] 
[Address] 
[Email]