Housing Instability

Eviction. Unsafe conditions. Discrimination because of your child’s disability. You have more rights than you know.

Find your situation

Situation 01

I received an eviction notice

An eviction notice is not an eviction. It is the beginning of a legal process that has specific timelines and your rights are active throughout. Do not leave voluntarily before speaking to a housing advocate or legal aid attorney.

→ Contact Legal Aid the same day you receive a notice. Services are free. They can often stop or delay the process. In Howard County:

Maryland Legal Aid, Howard County office: 410-480-1057 (statewide intake 888-465-2468)
Free eviction lawyers (Maryland Access to Counsel in Evictions): dial 211 and say you need legal help with an eviction case
Free mediation with your landlord (District Court): 410-260-1676

Got a notice or court papers? Your step-by-step plan in the SAFE HUB™ Navigator →

Situation 02

My landlord refuses to make disability accommodations

Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords must provide reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities — including children. This includes things like allowing service animals, permitting modifications for safety, or granting a ground-floor unit for a child who elopes.

→ Submit your accommodation request in writing. If denied, file a complaint with HUD at hud.gov/fairhousing or call 1-800-669-9777. There is no cost to file. In Howard County, you can also file with the Office of Human Rights & Equity: 410-313-6430 (within 1 year).

Situation 03

My landlord is threatening eviction because of my child’s disability-related behavior

Evicting a family because of a child’s autism-related behavior — meltdowns, noise, property damage related to disability — may constitute disability discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. The landlord is required to engage in an interactive process before pursuing eviction.

→ Document every interaction in writing. Do not respond to verbal threats. Request all communications in writing and file a HUD complaint if discrimination is occurring. Where to file, with phone numbers

Situation 04

My home is unsafe and the landlord will not make repairs

Every state has habitability standards. If your child’s disability creates additional safety risks in a home with unaddressed hazards — broken windows, no heat, exposed wiring — the landlord’s inaction may create additional liability. You may have the right to withhold rent or repair-and-deduct in some states.

→ Document every hazard with photos and timestamps. Report to your local housing code enforcement office — in Howard County, Rental Housing at the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits: 410-313-1830. Send a written repair request to your landlord with a reasonable deadline. In Maryland, the legal way to hold back rent for a serious hazard is rent escrow: you ask the District Court to have your rent paid into court (form DC-CV-083).

Situation 05

I need emergency housing assistance

Housing vouchers (Section 8, and Mainstream vouchers for households that include a person with a disability) and local emergency rental assistance programs prioritize families with children and individuals with disabilities. Waitlists are long, so get on every list that is open today — that is the only way to move up.

→ In Howard County, the Public Housing Authority is the Housing Commission: 443-518-7800. Its Section 8 waiting list is closed right now, so ask about Mainstream vouchers and apply directly to its family apartment communities. For emergency rent help, call more than one — funds are limited:

Howard County Social Services, emergency assistance for families with a child under 21: 410-872-8700
LARS (Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services), for Columbia, Elkridge, Jessup, North Laurel, Savage and Fulton: 301-776-0442
St. Vincent de Paul at St. John the Evangelist, Columbia: 410-964-1440

See all rent and bill help in the SAFE HUB™ Resource Finder

Not in Howard County? Search “legal aid” and your county, or dial 211 (24/7) and ask for legal help with an eviction and for emergency rental assistance.

🏛️ Your Rights Under the Fair Housing Act

It is illegal to: refuse to rent to a family because of a child’s disability · evict a family for disability-related behavior without engaging in an interactive process · deny a reasonable accommodation request without an alternative · retaliate against a tenant who filed a complaint. These rights apply to private landlords, housing authorities, and shelters receiving federal funding.

Not sure what step is right for your situation?

Tell us what is happening. We will help you understand your rights and your next move.

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