Baltimore County, Maryland: Connecting with State Government to Access Eviction Judgment Data

In 2024, New America partnered with Baltimore County’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) as part of the Eviction Data Response Network (EDRN), to help improve their eviction data collection and analysis. Baltimore County DHCD seeks to analyze county-wide eviction data in order to improve its eviction diversion programming, but until recently has lacked the data needed to effectively do so.

A 2022 law mandated the State of Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development (State DHCD) to collect statewide eviction data, but Baltimore County DHCD was not connected to the State DHCD and lacked access to this crucial data.

Through its network, New America was able to connect Baltimore County with the State DHCD to facilitate for the first time the sharing of Baltimore County eviction judgment data. Maryland collects eviction judgment data from sheriff’s offices across the state, and state law allows for data sharing agreements between state entities and counties. Government workers strive to collaborate across levels, but sometimes these efforts are sidetracked by pressing policy and programming needs, limited capacity, and the rise of other priorities. Now, Baltimore County is able to access detailed State DHCD datasets that allow for automated searching, spatial analysis, and visualizations.

With this new connection, Baltimore County may also be able to access eviction filing data once the State starts to collect that information electronically in fall 2025, as mandated by changes to Maryland law.

To see more impact stories on our local and state partners working to improve eviction data, visit here.