If Realtors want more customers (i.e., young adults leaving the family home), they should lobby for those customers to have higher wages, universal healthcare, affordable childcare, and investment in public education.

Here's the real story:
For Baltimore, MD --
* Income Needed to Afford Rent, 04/2025: $75,158
* Change in Needed Income Since 04/2020: 29.6%

Did young Baltimore renters see 30% earnings increases over the past 5 yrs? This isn't even factoring new student debt policy and rising healthcare costs.

Here's some data:
3,636 "wrongful detainer" cases filed vs. alleged squatters in 2024.

4,806 cases filed vs. renters bc their leases were non-renewed without cause.

For media & many MD legislators, only the first one reflects a crisis.

*Waiting for Sun stories on eviction w/out cause*... 7/7

We've also not heard any data on the supposed squatter crisis. Anecdotes, tweets & TV news clips, yes. But numbers? This is a rare instance in which bill proponents could not show the scope of the problem, still passed their bill on the first try & now seem to want to keep legislating the issue. 6/7

The Sun itself reported on the fraud against scammed would-be renters. Is a 2-3 week eviction process fair to them? We've heard nothing from Delegate Nawrocki, Senator Watson & other tough-on-squatter folks about how they want to address the revictimization caused by expedited evictions. 5/7

Is 4 weeks too long for due process in a busy court system? Note that judges could (and likely will) issue warrants within 2 days after trial & sheriffs could schedule these evictions the next day if they want (or if pressured to). SB46 could often look more like a 2-3 week eviction process. 4/7

The anti-squatter bill requires trial as early as 5 business days after filing in court & not more than 10. Let's assume it takes 10 biz days and also assume 5 days for issuance of a warrant and 1 week to schedule eviction, all of which are commonplace: That's eviction ~4 weeks after filing. 3/7

The Sun's estimate of 7 weeks for eviction under SB46 is actually the outer limit, likely extended by appeal or by a sheriff's delay. Appeals would be an exceedingly rare delay bc the 'squatter' must pay a cash bond to stop eviction while waiting for the appeal to be heard. 2/7

Tenant vouchers will merge with Public Housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), Section 202 Housing for the Elderly + Section 811
Housing for Persons with Disabilities into a $31.79B State Rental Assistance Block Grant program.

The prior administration funded tenant vouchers alone at $32B.