Need information for preventing eviction and loans for rent payments in Fort Washington, MD

(Request from Michelle from Fort Washington, Maryland) Need contact information for information in regards to preventing eviction and loans for rent payments. court date was this past Monday, Jan 13th, i don’t know how much time I have.

Dear Michelle,

The closest organizations and agencies that provide rental assistance are located in Arlington, Virginia. However, other than the Salvation Army Arlington chapter, most of those organizations will require that you are an Arlington County resident.

Bethesda Cares

Bethesda Cares is a nonprofit community outreach program committed to helping individuals and families to avoid evictions when they are falling behind on their rent payments. When you are having trouble on your own, sometimes the help of an organization like Bethesda Cares can be the difference between an eventual return to self-sufficiency or homelessness. When a short-term crisis might derail your financial plans, you can get the help that you need to remain in your rental home while you overcome your hardship.

A cash grant is provided in the form of a payment made directly to your landlord. This allows the organization to ensure that the landlord intends to drop their plans for eviction upon receipt of the rental assistance grant made on your behalf. This grant does not have to be repaid. Unlike some other programs where you are only allowed a single grant, Bethesda Cares is still an option for you if another crisis occurs in the future. They do limit applicants to no more than one grant per year (12 months must elapse).

For information about the eviction prevention program at Bethesda Cares, contact an outreach specialist at 301-907-9244.

Housing Authority of Prince George’s County

The Housing Authority of Prince George’s County (HAPGC) also provides rental allowance payments to help you avoid homelessness. These payments are similarly made directly to your landlord when you might otherwise face eviction due to nonpayment of rent.

HAPGC provides this emergency rental assistance program for those who are normally able to afford their rent but got into a bind due to a short-term hardship. The agency also provides ongoing rental assistance through subsidized rent for households who have a persistent need for supportive housing.

Rental Loans

For actual loans that you will have to repay, then you have some good and bad options. Payday loans are the worst option, with title loans also a major disaster. Consumer finance loans are an option, but expect to pay a comparably high rate of interest compared with what mainstream lenders charge.

Your bank may be able to offer you an unsecured personal loan to help you pay your rent. These rates are generally less than what a credit card issuer charges.

Navy Federal Credit Union might be your best option if you are eligible. If you or a family member either served in the military or who is a federal employee assigned to a DOD installation, then you could get some pretty low rates for a rental loan. Rates for these unsecured personal loans are currently in the 10-13% APR range. Of course these may fluctuate with market conditions, so you would need to contact Navy Federal Credit Union directly at 888-842-6328 for the latest rates.

There are other nearby institutions that may be able to offer reasonable interest rate loans for rent payments in Fort Washington and other areas of Prince George’s County. Focus on the credit unions or your own bank first, since the rates tend to be lower than what fringe banking firms will charge you. Of course, make sure that you take advantage of all grant-based assistance that you qualify for prior to taking on more debt to pay your living costs.