The proposal, backed by organizations including the Horizon Foundation and Everyday Canvassing, would create a one-stop shop for renters seeking information, filing complaints, and accessing resources. Advocates say the county's current annual rental survey relies heavily on landlord-provided data, leaving gaps in understanding the challenges tenants face.

"We asked renters: 'What would it take for Howard County to be a better place to grow up?' And among those answers we heard a resounding yes to a one-stop shop," said Tino Fragale, organizing director at Everyday Canvassing.

Kristina Gray-Akpa, senior program director at the Horizon Foundation, acknowledged that the county has not always prioritized renter perspectives. "I think we haven't always done a good job of listening to renters here. I think that we did not know the extent of the challenges that many of our renters face," she said. "I think part of the challenge was we just did not have the data. So now we know, and so I think now we can act."

The proposed office would focus on four key areas: data collection, enforcement, accountability, and education. Advocates argue that community organizations like the Columbia Housing Center have provided stopgap assistance but cannot meet the full need.

"Community organizations cannot fill it. This office can," said Carletta Hickman, executive director of the Columbia Housing Center. "Other counties in Maryland are already doing it, and Howard County can do it too."

Advocates point to Montgomery County and Washington, D.C., as models for similar tenant-landlord affairs offices. The call for a new office follows an extensive canvassing effort that advocates say uncovered previously unrecorded housing challenges.

The proposal now awaits action from the incoming administration, which has not yet publicly commented on the request. Supporters hope the survey results will prompt swift movement on creating the office, which they say would fill a critical gap in tenant protections and landlord accountability.