Kelly was appointed Director of the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development in August 2016. Kelly began her employment with the Department in 2008.
Under Kelly’s leadership, the Department seeks to create and preserve affordable rental and homeownership units, create and maintain workforce housing units, and provide financial education opportunities to the community. As a federal entitlement jurisdiction, the Department manages $2M in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnership (HOME) program funding to assist low-income families with their housing needs. The County’s affordable housing programs, including the Moderate-Income Housing Unit (MIHU) program, the Settlement Down payment Loan Program (SDLP) and the Reinvest, Renovate, Restore program (RRR), assist low- and moderate-income families that want to rent, buy or renovate a home in the County. During the COVID pandemic (2019- 2022), the Department directed $32M in federal and state grant funds to housing partners to keep residents safely housed. Since 2020, the Department has funded more than 500 down payment loans to help first-time homebuyers purchase a home and created 200 new MIHU homeownership units.
Kelly currently serves as the Chair of the County’s Coalition to End Homelessness Board and as Vice Chair of the Local Children’s Board. She is a graduate of the 2019 Howard County Leadership Premier class and resides in Woodbine, Maryland.
