Our priorities are...

• informed by our mission and core values. 
• amplified in partnership with like-minded coalitions including Renters United Maryland, CASA, the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition and Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition. 
• driven by client experience and on-the-ground staff perspective.  
• able to move when we have leaders in the legislature who are driven to act.
• influenced by the issues that gain momentum as the session progresses.

Check back often for specific bills we support as they get introduced in the weeks ahead.

We anticipate supporting efforts that:

• increase access to health care, including defending Medicaid and other critical public benefits
• further a harm reduction approach to public health, including decriminalizing paraphernalia
• protect against punishing people for experiencing homelessness
• support housing, including eviction prevention and more housing Marylanders can afford

Affirm the rights of unhoused individuals | SB049 / HB104

• This bill is back from last year and prevents law enforcement from arresting and ticketing people experiencing homelessness without first offering shelter. This is in direct response to the Grants Pass decision, which allows local jurisdictions to arrest or punish people for experiencing homelessness. Relying on jails and fines will never solve the homelessness crisis. The real solution is providing access to housing we can all afford and the support services we all need to become stable. See our testimony below.
  • Watch: President & CEO Kevin Lindamood testify in support at 1:07:12 (and back up to 59:29 to hear bill sponsor Senator Anthony Muse followed by Eric Tars of the National Homelessness Law Center). "The forced closure of encampments and issuing of citations is cruel, costly and, frankly, utterly counterproductive."

  • Coming up

    • House hearing - 2/3

End paraphernalia penalties | HB551/ SB327

• This bill removes penalties for paraphernalia in Maryland—and continues momentum of treating addiction and substance use disorder as a public health issue, not a criminal one. 

  • Coming up

    • House hearing - 2/5
    • Senate hearing - 2/10

End source of income housing discrimination | HB315 / SB335

• This bill prohibits landlords from using credit checks to screen applicants with income-based housing subsidies. For families who rely on housing assistance, including Housing Choice Vouchers and other income-based subsidies, credit and income-based screening often create a persistent barrier that undermines both the purpose of housing assistance programs and the intent of Maryland’s HOME Act. Ensure that Maryland families using income-based housing subsidies are not unfairly denied the opportunity to secure safe and stable housing.

  • Coming up

    • House hearing - 2/5
    • Senate hearing - 2/10

See where our 2025 priorities landed

Share your story or perspective

• Share your experience with Director of Public Policy Joanna Diamond at advocacy@hchmd.org. Stories can be in the form of an email, a phone call that's transcribed, a pre-recorded video or a recorded Teams meeting.
• Learn how to find your legislator, search for a bill, and generally engage during the Maryland General Assembly session. 

How your story helps

• We can include them in written testimony that will influence the hearings.
• You might have an opportunity to share your story directly with legislators as part of hearings.
• We can compile written and recorded stories and share with legislators after the hearings to advocate for their votes in favor of the bill.