On Friday, May 21, 2021, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) announced that it will receive 278 Emergency Housing Vouchers to provide permanent housing to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. The Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services (MOHS) and Baltimore’s Continuum of Care (CoC) will collaborate with HABC to create a distribution plan and administer the vouchers to the City’s most vulnerable populations.

“MOHS is committed to housing 250 families in the expanded Rapid Rehousing Program. With the Emergency Housing Vouchers, we look forward to moving eligible individuals and families from the temporary rental program to more permanent housing which will provide even more stability and housing security for our clients,” said Tisha S. Edwards, Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services. “We’re excited to partner with HABC to meet the pressing needs of our neighbors experiencing homelessness.”

The vouchers are specifically targeted to assist individuals and families in four categories: chronically homeless; recently homeless; those at risk of homelessness; and those fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking. Through its Coordinated Access System, MOHS will identify eligible clients and refer them to HABC to complete the housing process.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has authorized HABC to begin issuing the vouchers on July 1, 2021. The goal is to incrementally have all 278 vouchers issued by October 31, 2021.