For jurisdictions entitled by HUD: HUD entitles certain communities to receive annual block grants. If you are unsure whether your community is an entitlement community, contact the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. In addition to the analyses identified in the general guidance above, MDP recommends that entitlement jurisdictions duplicate and revise in their comprehensive plans any analyses required by HUD to maintain entitlement status.  

For non-entitlement jurisdictions with larger populations: communities with more than a few thousand residents should prepare assessments similar to those prepared by entitlement jurisdictions. See the “Additional Resources” section below for examples of such analyses. 

For non-entitlement jurisdictions with smaller populations: in addition to using federal or state level data sources, local jurisdictions should use local data and knowledge to analyze local fair housing issues, including information obtained through community participation or consultation such as personal descriptions of experiences with housing. While federal and state-level data identify fair housing issues, local data and knowledge can be especially important to understand why fair housing problems exist and why they persist. Recognizing that federal and state data sets might not be available or could be less accurate at a smaller geography, MDP recommends that planners in small communities rely more on local data and knowledge. MDP has prepared a self-assessment​ for smaller jurisdictions relying on local data and knowledge to further fair housing.