Residents of Prince George's County, Maryland, recently celebrated a major victory when the county council approved an additional measure to protect renters from extreme rent hikes. The Human Rights Office and the Prince George County Police Department are providing voluntary training on how to identify human trafficking activities and victims of human trafficking. The Director of the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources is authorized to receive and investigate complaints from anyone and to initiate his own investigations in the event of fraud or unfair treatment. The county council also acted quickly last month to cap rent increases at 3% for most rental units.
Any questions or complaints about prostitution and human trafficking made to the 311 call center in Prince George's County will be directed to law enforcement agencies in the county. In 2002, Prince George's County passed the Rent Stabilization Act, which temporarily limits rent increases. The Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development has partnered with several nonprofit community organizations to help landlords and tenants in the county complete the application and upload it to the appropriate online portal. The Director of the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources enforces the law and issues licenses. Prince George County actively promotes equal opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, ethnic or national origin, disability, or family status when admitting or accessing the benefits of programs or activities. If you are facing eviction due to late rent payment and have a subpoena, court ruling, restirement order, or possession order, you may be eligible for Prince George's County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).
The move comes after Prince George's County Council passed a law in February to temporarily limit rent increases to 3 percent in the Maryland community. The Prince George County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) offers help to landlords on behalf of tenants and renters experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).
