About

A master plan for housing needs had not been completed for Howard County in more than 10 years. County Executive Ball created the Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force in Fall 2019 to assess the current state of housing in Howard County and to assist in the preparation of the Housing Opportunities Master Plan.  The Housing Opportunities Master Plan will assess housing programs and policies in all County government departments and agencies to improve efficiency and effectiveness, identify ways to create and preserve housing opportunities for residents of all income levels, and provide metrics and timelines to measure progress towards achieving goals in the plan.

HOMP Task Force

Housing Opportunities - Final Master Plan

County Executive Ball released the Housing Opportunities Master Plan to the public at an event on May 18, 2021. The Department of Housing and Community Development would like to thank the members of the Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force for their time and commitment to the development of the plan. The 40-page plan, and 80 recommendations that follow, is based on data analysis and research of neighboring jurisdictions and nationwide, as well as input from community practitioners, housing partners and the public over the last 14 months. The community was able to participate in the process and development of the plan through 22 task force meetings, 5 community meetings, multiple environmental justice outreach discussions and 2 surveys with over 2600 responses. 

Click here for the Master Plan

Appendix A - Detailed Recommendation

Appendix B - Comparison of Task Force and Plan Recommendations

Appendix C - Market Overview and Background Research

Appendix D - Overview of Policy, Program and Funding 

Appendix E - SWOT Analysis

Appendix F - Public Engagement Summary

 

Task Force Information

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Members & Workgroups

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Task Force Members

The Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force will provide a local understanding of the broader issues concerning housing needs and they will promote public involvement during the development of the Master Plan. The Task Force members include:

  • Paul Casey
  • Pat Sylvester
  • Jennifer Broderick
  • David Nitkin
  • Paula Seabright
  • Steve Breeden
  • Christine Madigan
  • Maria Miller
  • Roger Barnes
  • Leonardo McClarty
  • Joan Driessen
  • Mavis Ellis
  • Brent Loveless
  • Bill McCormack
  • Anne Brinker
  • Cindy Parr
  • Kevin Kelehan
  • Erica Byrne
  • Victoria Hathaway
  • Dr. Caroline Harper
  • Ana Cisneros
  • Linda Wengel
  • Phyllis Zolotorow

Workgroups

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Executive Order 2019-12 Press Release

Content

October 30, 2019 Press Release

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Today, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced the new Housing Opportunities Master Plan process, the first in over a decade. The process will include hiring an independent consultant to find potential approaches in housing, including ways to expand homeownership opportunities and ensure a sustainable future of housing in Howard County. Ball also signed an Executive Order to form a Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force, comprised of a diverse group of community members and stakeholders who will ensure an inclusive, transparent, community-driven process. Photos of the event can be found here. Video can be found here.
 
“Housing is a critical issue for the future of Howard County and in order to choose the best path forward for all, we need to be informed decision makers. When I took office, Howard County had not created a comprehensive Master Plan on housing affordability needs in over a decade. I am proud to announce a new Housing Opportunities Master Plan process and Task Force to make the critical determination around what is actually working, and what needs to be improved,” said Ball. “Our Master Plan will help us answer the fundamental questions to begin our community conversation: What is the current state of our housing needs and what is the best path forward to serve all our residents? Together, we will find the answers and make Howard County a great home for families today and tomorrow.”
 
The plan is envisioned to take approximately one year to complete so that the County can consider Fiscal Year 2022 budget investments, based on the recommendations. The steps of the Housing Opportunities Master Plan process include:

  1. Data Collection 
  2. Outreach
  3. Explore Approaches in Other Jurisdictions
  4. Identify Options
  5. Conduct Application Projections and Assessments
  6. Finalizing the Plan 
  7. Composing and Presenting the Final Report
  8. Post-Project Implementation Review
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Meetings & Presentations

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Below (in reverse chronological order) is a list of presentations and notes from previous meetings:

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