Community Schools Rental Assistance Program (CS-RAP)

• Pay overdue rent and utility bills, including late fees and court fees associated with eviction filings
• Move to a new place by helping with the security deposit, first month's rent, and utility deposit
• Pay future rent
• Get help with utility bills to move into a new home

• Rent your home or be trying to rent a new one (homeowners don't qualify)
• Be at risk of losing your home, being evicted, having your utilities shut off, or being behind on rent or utility payments

Have a student in your household who is enrolled in one of the following Frederick County Community Schools:

Elementary Schools:

• Butterfly Ridge Elementary School
• Hillcrest Elementary School
• Lewistown Elementary School
• Lincoln Elementary School
• Monocacy Elementary School
• Waverly Elementary School

Middle Schools:

• Crestwood Middle School
• Monocacy Middle School
• West Frederick Middle School

Alternative School:

• Heather Ridge School

We try to keep documentation flexible. You may need to provide recent proof of the following:

• Rent Obligation (lease, rent receipts, bank statements, or landlord statement)
• Housing Instability (past due notice, eviction papers, shut-off notice, or self-attestation)
• Income (pay stubs, 2024 tax return, benefits letter, or self-attestation)*
• Community School Enrollment (report card, school letter, or verification from the school)

You do not need a driver's license, Social Security card, birth certificate, or proof of citizenship/immigration.

*At this time, there are no income level requirements; however, we are required to collect this information from applicants.

Step 1: Complete the online application.

Step 2: Upload required documents (for example: proof of enrollment in a community school, lease agreement, bills, proof of income).

Step 3: Your application will be reviewed by program staff.

Step 4: You and/or your landlord will be contacted if additional information is needed.

Status updates will come from both the following email addresses: no-reply@socialsolutions.com and csrap@uwcm.org. You will be notified that your application was received, when it is under review, if additional documentation is needed, and if it is approved or denied. If you do not receive these communications, please check your spam folder. 

Yes. Payments are made directly to landlords or utility companies, so landlord participation is required to have an approved application.

The landlord will need to complete the CSRAP Landlord Application and provide the following documents:

• W9
• EFT Application (if applicable)
• Documentation of arrears or an Unpaid Charges Letter
• Lease Agreement

The CSRAP Landlord application can be found here.

If your landlord accepts direct CSRAP payments, they must agree to the following:

• Cancel any active eviction filings
• Not file evictions for at least 30 days after your assistance ends
• Offer you the option to renew your lease for at least 90 days (unless there is a serious safety issue)

• Our goal is to review all completed applications within 14 days.
• All documentation is required to determine eligibility from both the tenant and the landlord. 
• If approved, payments are usually made to your landlord or utility company within 30 days.
• You will receive notice of payment when funds are sent on your behalf.

Applications are prioritized in the following way if your household:

1. Is homeless (see next question in the FAQs for the McKinney-Vento definition)
2. Has a court judgement for unpaid rent or an eviction notice
3. Has a notice of intent to file an eviction or a pending eviction hearing
4. Has urgent needs such as shut-off utilities or immigration/citizenship barriers

Homeless children and youth are those who do not have a fixed, regular, and safe place to sleep at night. This can include situations where a child or youth is:  

• Staying in another person’s housing, such as a friend or relative, because their family lost housing or cannot afford their own  
• Living in a shelter, transitional housing, motel, hotel, campground, or trailer park because there’s not an alternative 
• Staying in a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, substandard housing, or other private or public place not meant for sleep 

• If you need assistance with the application, please watch the following video with directions on how to complete an online application.  
• If you’d like to request a paper application, please email csrap@uwcm.org to request a paper copy to be mailed to you. Please ensure that you include your name and mailing address.

Funding is provided by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and the program is being administered by United Way of Central Maryland in Frederick County with our community partner, United Way of Frederick County.

• Households may receive up to 12 months of rental and/or utility assistance as funds are available.
• In some cases, you may be eligible for an additional 3 months (for a maximum of 15 total months). 
• A “month of assistance” means any month that CSRAP pays rent, utilities, or housing-related costs on your behalf.
• For future rent, assistance can be provided for up to 3 months at a time before an applicant will need to reapply as funds are available.  

Yes, two households with shared responsibility of a student could both be eligible for up to 15 months of assistance.

• Assistance from other programs (like OHEP, LIHEAP, Fuel Fund, etc.) does not count toward your CSRAP limit. 
• However, you cannot receive duplicate assistance for the same month (for example, two programs both paying 100% of a specific month’s rent).

If approved, payments go directly to your landlord or utility company.

CSRAP can help with: 

• Back rent (rental arrears) – past due rent, including pet, parking, or amenity fees listed in your lease 
• Future rent (prospective rent) – up to 3 months at a time (you’ll need to reapply/recertify for longer support) 
• Security deposits (up to one month) 
• Application/screening fees
• Late fees charged by your landlord or court 

CSRAP can help with both past-due and future bills for: 

• Electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash 
• Heating fuel (oil, propane, wood, coal, etc.) 
• Internet service 
• Utility hookup or reconnection fees

Important: Prior to providing utility assistance through CSRAP to a household, applicants will be asked if they have applied for all utility assistance they are eligible for, such as OHEP, LIHEAP, Fuel Fund, or State RELIEF Act funds.

You may still qualify for help. In most cases, you'll need to provide proof that you live at the address on the bill. Program staff will review your situation and let you know if any extra documentation is needed. 

Yes, if:

• You provide your old lease and an overdue rent notice (or court papers showing what's owed).
• Your former landlord agrees to stop collection efforts and update your credit record once CSRAP pays.
• These payments count towards your CSRAP limit.

CSRAP can help if you need to move to stable housing. Covered costs may include:

• Security deposits (up to one month of rent) 
• Application fees 
• Moving truck or storage unit fees (up to one month) 
• Washer/dryer rentals (if not included in the lease) 
• Landlord incentive payment (extra month’s rent for tenants with eviction, homelessness, or other housing barriers) 
• Court-required rent or rental bonds 
• Please note that hotel/motel placements or costs are not currently covered. 

You will receive a confirmation email that your application was submitted. A member from the program team will contact you and your landlord with any next steps.

• After submitting your application, the program team will review your application for preliminary eligibility. If additional documentation is needed, you will receive an email asking you to create an account with out Connect Portal. The Connect Portal will allow you to upload any additional required documentation. Your landlord will also receive a request to create a Connect Portal account, if additional documents are needed from them.