ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and the Department of Housing and Community Development have announced next steps for Howard County’s historic Housing Opportunities Trust Fund.
Applicants are being sought to serve on the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund Advisory Committee, which will assist in oversight of the fund. The committee will meet up to six times a year, and applicants should have housing experience and a familiarity with financial statements and development budgets.
County Executive Ball provided $5 million in funding to launch the Trust Fund in his FY23 budget, which was approved by the County Council. The Trust Fund, the first of its kind in Howard County, is intended to provide additional forms of rental and home rehabilitation assistance and support housing for populations in need. Homeownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers will be increased, existing affordable housing can be preserved, and rehabilitated and new units can be developed, in particular to serve residents with low incomes and disabilities.
County Executive Ball said that county programs that assist with rental unit preservation, homeownership, and rehabilitation efforts will receive a boost from the fund. The County’s rehabilitation loan program provides low interest loans to existing homeowners to make improvements that allow them to safely remain in their homes and improve the neighborhood around them.
In addition to increasing housing units for those in need, we need to preserve our existing housing stock, and this new initiative will help improve neighborhoods and build communities.
For advisory board members, applications will be accepted from October 21, 2022 until November 4, 2022.
Residents interested in volunteering their time should complete the application available on the County’s website (link below) and attach a resume. Experience with Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing, and/or acquisition, development, and management of low- and moderate-income rental housing or other types of affordable housing is preferred.
Appointees will be expected to attend all committee meetings. Appointees may not be employed by or serve on the board of any entity seeking funding and will be required to sign a conflict-of-interest statement.
The Advisory Committee will:
- Set annual funding goals and priorities for the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund;
- Provide input and review of the Notice of Funding Availability before it is released to the public;
- Review and score applications in response to the Notice of Funding Availability; and,
- Present funding recommendations to the Housing and Community Development Board
The Advisory Committee will be composed of five members. Committee membership will reflect the racial, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic and cultural diversity of Howard County.
For questions and/or more information about this Committee, contact Kanise Lewis at 410-313-6316 or email at klewis@howardcountymd.gov. For more details, visit the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund Advisory Committee website.