Eastern Shore receives $500,000 in critical housing aid

Salisbury, Md. — The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) came to the Eastern Shore Wednesday – announcing $500,000 in funding awards for critical housing aid locally from the state’s Community Schools Rental Assistance Program.

The department awarded Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County the funding. The nonprofit will be taking applications from eligible families starting Oct. 29 to distribute the money into the community.

Officials said the program will assist families with children enrolled in 19 schools across Wicomico County. To be eligible for the program locally, families must show obligation to pay rent, have at least one child enrolled at a Community School in the Wicomico County Public School system, and a demonstrated risk of housing instability.

DHCD Secretary Jake Day said the support can provide critical stability for children.

“It is our job to help build a system where a moment of crisis doesn’t lead to a lifetime of hardship, and that means investing in solutions that meet people where they are. It gives families the stability to need – they need to thrive,” Day said.

Day said that the program received over twice the funding compared to last year from the state, up to $12.1 million in the fiscal year 2027 cycle for individuals in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Frederick County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Washington County and Wicomico County.

He added that the first funding cycle helped 98 households and 350 people in Wicomico County alone. According to DHCD, housing insecurity is a rising issue across the state. And it’s something that the program will look to address in Wicomico County.

Danielle Meister – the assistant secretary of the division for homeless solutions – says Wicomico County Public Schools have identified over 700 students who qualify as homeless. The program works through a community touchpoint, the schools.

“The thing that’s special about this particular program is we’re bringing resources into the school setting, and connecting families where they’re already plugged in – in a community with people that support them,” Meister said.

A major target of the program is getting kids the environment they need to be successful, whatever housing challenges their family might be facing. The program can offer support on things including bill payments – eviction court fees – moving costs – deposits – and some rent payments.

“We’re able to do it flexibly to serve folks who are having any kind of housing crisis. And specifically focusing on families with children, because we know that there are a lot of educational impacts and social impacts and emotional well-being for kids who are experiencing housing instability,” Mesiter said. 

Giving that boost to families can lead to greatly improved outcomes for students.

“When people have a safe place to stay and a stable place to stay, they’re able to focus on what’s really important, which is their children can have the school experience that they deserve,” said Christina Williams, the director of development at Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County. “They can be in their houses studying for homework, not worrying about where they’re going to sleep that night. They can have stable meals around a dinner table where they can have all those things that we expect from a regular family environment. 

Knita Cartwright – WCPS’s McKinney-Vento homeless liaison – says that programs like the CSRAP are crucial in setting up students for future success.

“They help children remain in their homes, attend their schools, and maintain the routines and relationships that are so important to their well-being. Because when we help stabilize a family, we’re also investing in a child’s future,” Cartwright said.

Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County now has the application link and an informational page available on their website.