Housing in Howard County is set to become more affordable and attainable for renters and homeowners alike since the launch of two new housing initiatives aimed at building generational wealth.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and local housing advocates announced the initiatives on Thursday, which include: (1) filing local legislation to allow Howard County Government to issue bonds for its local Housing Opportunities Trust Fund (HOTF) and (2) selling County land at 9790 Washington Boulevard in Laurel to the Howard County Housing Commission for the construction of a mixed-income homeownership community.
“Together, these actions represent what smart, responsible, and compassionate housing policy looks like,” Ball said. “By creating modern financial tools to build and preserve affordable housing at scale AND by turning neglected land into real homes for real families, we are helping ensure Howard County is a place where anyone and everyone can build generational wealth through homeownership. …When we build housing for our community, we build futures. And today, we’re laying the foundation for many generations to come.”
The HOTF gives loans, grants, or guarantees for building new affordable housing, buying land for that purpose, buying and renovating existing properties for affordable housing, and more. It also supports older adults and people with disabilities, helping them find and maintain housing that fits their needs and budget.
Ball’s legislation proposes an amendment to Section 601 of the Howard County Charter that will include affordable housing projects financed in whole or in part by the HOTF within the definition of a “capital project”. This would mean the county could issue bonds for affordable housing construction, making financing options more flexible for the county when it’s considering affordable housing projects.
The legislation has strong affordability and accountability elements. Only projects that meet affordability requirements can qualify. The HOTF requires that at least 50% of its spending go towards households that earn less than or equal to 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
In the past, HOTF has had to depend upon one-time appropriations and revenue that fluctuated with the market, like transfer taxes for its funds. Ball’s amendment gives HOTF authority to use bonds (subject to budget approval and public input), which makes it easier to address housing needs as they happen, and for more people. The legislation also addresses Howard County’s growing housing shortage and allows for building houses that better serves families.
“The amendment to the County Charter to add bond financing options for the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund will support the creation of more affordable housing units for the County’s workforce,” said Kelly Cimino, director of the Department of Housing and Community Development. “We look forward to working with the County Council on this resolution. We also appreciate the State’s support of the Hurst project through the strategic demolition grant award and the ongoing partnership with the Housing Commission to develop this new, affordable homeownership project.
The Hurst project involves the County selling its 1.92-acre Hurst property in Laurel to the Howard County Housing Commission. This was authorized in 2015 by the Howard County Council, and in September 2024, Ball released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the purchase and redevelopment of the property. After the competitive process of reviewing the proposals, the County chose the Housing Commission to purchase and redevelop the Hurst property into a mixed-income homeownership community.
The Housing Commission owns two pieces of land adjacent to the Hurst property, coming to roughly 10 acres of redevelopment opportunity for the mixed-income community. It will have around 60 homes, with at least 30% affordable to households making up to 80% of AMI. Those units will be mixed between two-over-twos and townhomes, and expected to sell in the low $300,000 range, which is much lower than market prices.
“New starter homes in Howard County! The Housing Commission is extremely happy to be combining forces with the County to make this opportunity available to people with a wide-range of incomes,” said Peter Engel, executive director of the Howard County Housing Commission. “At the same time, the development will bring life and vitality back to a long-neglected stretch of Route 1. This package is a win-win for both local and County residents and we look forward to working with the community as we firm up plans.”
