May 12, 2020
Media Contact:
Scott Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball requested a deferral from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for Ellicott City recovery loans offered to businesses after the 2016 and 2018 floods. The DHCD granted the request today deferring the recovery loans due date from September 2020, to September 2021.
“Like business across Maryland, the businesses in Ellicott City are facing an uncertain future that is exasperated by the debt load they are carrying because of the 2016 and 2018 floods,” said County Executive Calvin Ball. “As the businesses in Ellicott City attempt to recover from what amounts to a third major disaster in four years, we’re thankful to the DHCD for offering another deferment of repayment of the recovery loans from the two floods. We are grateful for the partnership with Governor Hogan and DHCD since taking office and look forward to working together to help all of Howard County’s businesses recover from this global pandemic.”
"During these unprecedented economic times, our administration is committed to providing the necessary relief for our small businesses to weather this pandemic," said Governor Larry Hogan. "These loan deferrals will help support Main Street Ellicott City businesses in their recovery and ensure they can reopen their doors when it is safe to do so."
Following the July 2016 flood, most of the small businesses in Historic Ellicott City were destroyed, forcing business owners to use any means possible to rebuild. Many took advantage of recovery loans offered to them through the Maryland DHCD. A year later, it was estimated that 90 percent of businesses had reopened. At the time, the storm was called a 1-in-1,000-year event.
Just 22 months later in May 2018, the second flood occurred, and business owners were forced to use any means possible to rebuild their business for a second time in two years. DHCD again offered recovery loans that businesses took advantage of, most for the second time. Last year, as businesses struggled to recover from the two floods, Ball requested, and DHCD granted, a deferral on repayment of those loans.
As the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan progressed it was anticipated that businesses would continue to recover and be in a better place to begin paying back the recovery loans by this year. The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused another crisis for Ellicott City. Almost every business was forced to close when the Governor mandated the closure of non-essential businesses.
To stay up-to-date on the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan, please visit www.ecsafeandsound.org.