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Preventing and Ending Homelessness

The Baltimore County Master Plan 2020 advocates for strengthening and sustaining vibrant communities. An important component of a vibrant community is one with a housing stock that is safe and secure for all citizens. Providing housing to those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless is achieved through efforts that track, prevent and end homelessness.

Baltimore County HOME-American Rescue Plan

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is currently planning use of $7.4 million in HOME-American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funds. This funding will be directed to assist individuals or households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and other vulnerable populations, by providing housing, rental assistance, supportive services, and non-congregate shelter to reduce homelessness and increase housing stability. 

Qualifying Populations

HOME-ARP funding must be used to serve one or more of the following qualified populations:

  • Homeless (McKinney Act Definition at 24 CFR 91.5)
  • At risk of homelessness (McKinney Act Definition at 24 CFR 91.5)
  • Fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking
  • Other populations where assistance would: 
    • Prevent the family's homelessness; or
    • Serve those with the greatest risk of housing instability
  • Veterans and families including a veteran member that meet one of the preceding criteria

Eligible Activities

HOME-ARP funds must be used to primarily benefit the qualifying populations through the four eligible activities:

  • Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)
  • Production or Preservation of Affordable Rental Housing
  • Provision of Supportive Services
  • Acquisition and Development of Non-Congregate Shelter Units

Learn more about the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's ARP. The proposed uses for the HOME-ARP funding are included in the Draft Allocation Plan. This Plan will be open for public comment through Tuesday, March 28 at 5 p.m. Submit comments by email to dhcd@baltimorecountymd.gov or by phone at 410-887-8822 (callers are to leave a message). Interested persons who have comments in a language other than English may send an email for accurate translation.

FY2022 HUD Continuum of Care Annual Notice of Funding Opportunity

HUD released the FY2022 Annual Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) application for renewal of current Continuum of Care (CoC) grants and for new providers interested in applying to offer services. NOFO program information can be found on the HUD website. Application materials can be found on the Grants website

All applications received by the CoC lead agency, the Department of Housing and Community Development, were scored by the Rating and Ranking Committee of the CoC. New applicants will be scored along with current providers.

Milestones

August 19
NOFO overview meeting to review HUD goals and CoC goals for this year’s application. View slides and video content from this meeting.

August 29 
New and renewal project applicants must submit an email stating their intent to apply for CoC funds to hsheridan@baltimorecountymd.gov.

August 31 
New and renewal project applications must be completed in eSNAPS.

  • Log in to eSNAPS.
  • If you do not have an account and want to request access to eSNAPS, visit the HUD Exchange website. Please do not submit via eSNAPS until you are notified that your account is active.
  • Your final application must include:

September 1 to 13
Rating and Ranking Committee reviews and scores all applications. View the Rating and Ranking Procedure.

September 14
Provider Project Application Scoring completed.

September 15
Final rating and ranking completed, providers will be notified individually. View the 2022 Final Rating and Ranking List.

September 27
CoC consolidated application draft documents for FY2022 NOFO:

September 30 
Final submission of CoC NOFO application to HUD.

Documents from the FY2021 CoC NOFO Competition

If you have questions about the program, please email DHCDHSTeam@baltimorecountymd.gov.

Shelters and Housing Facilities

The County offers a range of shelter and housing programs to persons in Baltimore County who are homeless. These include emergency shelters, domestic violence shelters, cold and freezing weather shelters, transitional shelters, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing.

People seeking access to these services must be referred through the County’s coordinated entry system. Those seeking services for themselves or working to aid others in accessing services should call 410-887-8463.

Preventing Homelessness

Two Baltimore County agencies, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Department of Social Services (DSS), have the primary responsibility for providing services to the homeless, or those who are at risk of becoming homeless. DHCD employs a Homeless Services Administrator, a Homeless Shelter Coordinator, as well as a manager of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

DHCD also employs a team of grants administrators who, among other duties, oversee significant annual grant funding that goes to various organizations that provide services to the homeless and work to prevent homelessness. A majority of the funding for these programs is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Plan to End Homelessness

The County envisions a comprehensive housing crisis response system through which homelessness can be prevented and, when this is impossible, episodes of homelessness can be quickly ended. The 10-Year Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in Baltimore County is designed to identify and align the future homeless support system to meet the distinct needs of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The plan sets forth a broad range of coordinated strategies that address multiple issues across the continuum of homelessness. It sets out a framework that will prevent and end homelessness—not just manage it.

The plan integrates and enhances existing community planning efforts and priorities. It will continue to evolve over time as a living document that will guide community efforts to respond to emerging issues related to homelessness in Baltimore County. Learn more about the executive summary, "A Home For All."

Tracking Homelessness

The Department gathers data from various sources to estimate the extent of homelessness in the County. The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a Congressional mandate for all jurisdictions that receive federal funding for homeless and homeless prevention services. The Baltimore County HMIS is a cooperative community case management tool that allows governmental agencies and non-profit organizations to better serve their homeless clientele.

Federal, state and local government, as well as non-government grantors, use HMIS data to analyze program performance, which will then help determine funding opportunities. More than 30 Baltimore County non-profit organizations and more than 80 Baltimore County homeless or homeless prevention programs utilize HMIS. The County uses Bowman System's ServicePoint software to deliver our HMIS services.

Contact Us

Department of Housing and Community Development

105 West Chesapeake Avenue, Suite 201
Towson, Maryland 21204

Hours

Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Phone

Director

Terry Hickey