Published August 14, 2026 at 4:55 PM EDT

Frederick County non-profits are worried they will run out of eviction prevention funds by fall as they see an exponential rise in families seeking services this year over last.

Nick Brown, executive director of Beyond Shelter Frederick said the true scope of what is pushing families through their doors is unclear. Often, they are already months behind on rent, Brown said, requiring $3,000-$5,000 to catch up. With more and more people showing up, an already limited pool of funds can dry up quickly. “We are one of the last organizations,” Brown said. “We are about to spend down our last remaining amounts for known rental assistance by July.”

Rising Rent

Brown worries rising rent plays a part as more families are on the edge of housing insecurity. Since the pandemic, the average rent in Frederick has risen anywhere from 30%-40% and currently stands at approximately $1,700-$2,400, depending on the number of occupants (1, 2, 3).

That means a 3 person family, making approximately 50% of the area’s median income (AMI), will struggle to spend less than 30% of their earnings on the average apartment in Frederick. “The folks that are going through poverty are struggling hardest, first, and that is not unusual unfortunately,” Brown said.

According to United Way (UW) of Frederick County, approximately 32% of households live below the ALICE threshold. ALICE stands for access limited, income constrained but employed. It represents families who live above the national poverty level but do not make enough to meet their basic needs.

The housing market is driven by supply and demand, and while Frederick remains the fastest growing county in Maryland, it's not building new homes quickly enough. A housing study, released by the county earlier this year, revealed that Frederick will need 31,000 new homes by 2035. Of that, 10,000 units will need to be for families making 60% AMI or less.

That means, in addition to the current need, approximately 3,500 additional housing units must be built each year.

Federal Cuts

Earlier this month, Brown said he worried about cuts to housing programs announced by HUD, potentially costing local organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding. Three of their providers went so far as to volunteer for reductions to try and compensate for expected impacts, Brown said. “With the permanent support of housing cuts, the outcome is yet unknown as the applications are just now due,” Brown said. “We’ll find out what happens with those cuts, whether we are funded partially, or in some realities not at all.”

The answer came just days later as a lawsuit, led by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and a multistate coalition, was filed in hopes of striking down the cuts. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) efforts to put a funding cap on permanent housing projects was ultimately deemed unlawful.

A release by the attorney general outlined HUD issued a notice of funding opportunity, which would have set aside $1.3 billion out of $4.04 billion available funds. The money would have been used to support transitional housing, but would have placed a cap on permanent housing.

In the release, it is argued this would have endangered the housing of 97,000 residents living in permanent housing, funded by continuums of care across the U.S. This included at least 2,000 Maryland residents as well.

Local Solutions

Local non-profits are still running out of eviction prevention funding, which leaves Frederick families in unstable housing situations. Brown said local government grants could be one way to bridge the gaps in services.

As both the county and city recently completed their own housing studies, Brown said this problem will require a conversation that includes the entire community.