COVID-19 Information and Resources

Though the MCRC office is closed, MCRC staff are still working remotely. We are quickly adapting in order to continue to provide our services and maintain our programs during this uncertain time. We will continue to keep our members and community updated, but in the meantime, if you have further questions please contact us at 410.220.0494 or email us at info@marylandconsumers.org.

External Resources

State and Community Resources: Marylanders Serving Marylanders: Resources During Coronavirus

National Consumer Law Information and Resources: Major Consumer Protections Announced in Response to COVID-19, Information on Consumer Protection, and Resources for Consumers

Information for Maryland Residents/Tenants: FHFA Moves to Provide Eviction Suspension Relief for Renters in Multifamily Properties, Governor Hogan’s Executive Order Temporarily Prohibiting Evictions of Tenants Suffering Substantial Loss of Income Due to COVID-19, FHFA Extends Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium

Fair Housing Action Center of Maryland: COVID-19 Information for Residents, Business Owners, and Property Managers/Rental Housing Providers

Resources for Homeowners: Mortgage Relief for Homeowners Affected By COVID-19

Older Adult Resources: MD Department of Aging’s Senior Call Check Program

Unemployment Resources: FAQ on Maryland Unemployment Insurance Benefits and COVID-19 from Maryland DLLR

Small Business Resources: COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund – Workforce Development and Adult Learning, Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Loan Fund, Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund, Maryland COVID-19 Emergency Relief Manufacturing Fund, Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Assistance Information

Student Resources: COVID-19 Resources for Maryland Students, Student Rental Housing Factsheet

National Eviction Moratorium

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a national eviction moratorium order on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. The purpose of the order is to stop the spread of COVID-19 by keeping people in their homes. In the context of a pandemic, eviction moratoria—like quarantine, isolation, and social distancing—can be an effective public health measure utilized to prevent the spread of communicable disease. Eligible renters facing eviction due to financial hardship caused by COVID-19 are now protected from being displaced from their homes. This moratorium expires December 31, 2020 unless amended.

If you are a Maryland tenant, and need legal representation or legal advice, please contact the following organizations:

CASA de Maryland

Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County

Maryland Legal Aid

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

Mid-Shore Probono

Public Justice Center

Sign-On Letter Opposing OCC’s "True Lender" Rule

The Acting Director of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Brian Brooks, is proposing a new rule that would legalize payday lending in Maryland and allow predatory payday lenders to partner with banks to offer high-cost, usurious loans to cash-strapped consumers and financially fragile families throughout Maryland. 

Brooks' proposed “true lender” rule would allow predatory lenders to evade Maryland’s strong usury rate cap of 33% APR for consumer loans. This proposed rule is a loan laundering scam which allows non-bank predator lenders to “rent-a-bank”, which are exempt from our state rate caps, and would allow these predatory lenders to charge outrageous interest rates.

Read the letter here

Apply for the Homeowner’s or Renter’s Tax Credit

Across the state, so many Maryland families are struggling right now to make ends meet, to juggle their bills, and to scrape together enough to pay their mortgage or rent each month. The Homeowners and Renters Tax Credits are available to help!

Please visit MarylandTaxCredit.com, follow the simple prompts, and discover how much money you can save today! Consumers interested in applying for the Renters Tax Credit can contact the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition at (443) 961-6220 for screening and application assistance. Deadline to apply is October 1st.

Renter’s Tax Credit Brochure

Homeowner’s Tax Credit Brochure

Introducing… SCAMBUSTERS

MCRC is working to keep Marylanders safe from the rising number of scams due to COVID-19. Stay tuned for regular Scambuster videos addressing the latest scams and how to stay safe!
Remember:
1. Know who you're dealing with! Verify that it really is your student loan servicer/bank/payment app contacting you by going to their website (don't just click the link the potential scammer provides!) or calling a phone number you look up yourself (like the number on the back of your debit card, on your billing statement, or in the app).

2. Do not provide personal information to people or businesses that call, text, or email you directly.

3. If it seems too good to be true -- it probably is!

Helping Seniors Fight Economic Insecurity

Economic insecurity is a daily reality for thousands of older adults in Maryland living on fixed incomes and struggling to meet their obligations each month. MCRC’s SOAR Financial Counselor, Jamila Blake, is featured in The Baltimore Times discussing the work she does to aid and advocate for Maryland’s Older Adults.

Read the article here

Letters Sent to Governor Hogan and Chief Judge Barbera Urging Stronger Consumer Protections

MCRC sent letters, cosigned by more than 20 advocacy organizations across the state, to Governor Hogan and Maryland Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera. The letters request that protections are put in place for residents who have received stimulus checks and may be facing wage garnishments and other post-judgment collections during the public health crisis.

We've asked that post-judgment collections be postponed so that the the $1,200 checks made available by the federal government serve their intended purpose.

Read the letter to Governor Hogan here

Read the letter to Chief Judge Barbera here

Read the Baltimore Sun article here

Read the Maryland Matters article here

Watch the Fox News coverage here

In a win for all Marylanders, on April 29th, Governor Hogan issued an order prohibiting the garnishment of CARES Act stimulus checks.

Call to Action: 10 Measures Maryland Leaders Must Take to Protect Residents during the COVID-19 Emergency

The coronavirus (COVID-19) poses a serious health threat to the most vulnerable Marylanders. There are also economic harms that many are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For workers, consumers, people with disabilities, renters, homeowners, students, elders, small business owners, and others, the State of Emergency proclaimed by the Governor and the record number of travel and event cancelations means not just uncertainty about individual health, but also an indefinite period of income loss and financial peril. For more information and resources on COVID-19 click here.

The Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition along with 100+ local civic organizations and businesses have endorsed a 10-point list of demands for action by Gov. Larry Hogan, local executive officials, and the Maryland court system to prevent economic fallout during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. Local farms, labor unions, healthcare advocates, legal services organizations, and more have coalesced around these demands.

The measures detailed in this letter represent the wide array of Maryland constituents that will be dramatically affected by reduced work hours, loss of employment, quarantine measures, and unavailability of medicine and medical treatment. To view our Call to Action, click here.