HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG)

AND HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) PROGRAMS

Howard County is preparing its FFY 2020-2024 Five-Year Consolidated Plan and FFY 2020 Annual Action Plan. The County must submit these plans to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds.

The CDBG entitlement program provides annual grants on a formula basis to entitled cities and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. The HOME entitlement program allocates annual grants to larger cities and urban counties to fund a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-and moderate-income people.

Input from the community is vital to the creation and implementation of these plans. A Public Hearing will be held in Meeting Room 211, 9820 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 6:00 P.M. to discuss the County’s housing and community development needs. Meeting Room 211 is accessible to persons with physical disabilities. Efforts will be made to accommodate the disabled and non-English speaking citizens and a sign language interpreter services will be available upon request with three (3) days advance notice to Quanita Kareem, Compliance Officer, Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), at (410) 313-3386, or email qkareem@howardcountymd.gov.

Additionally, a community survey is available at the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HowardCoCDBG

If you have any questions or would like to submit written comments concerning these plans, please contact Elizabeth Meadows by phone at (410) 313-6324 or by email at emeadows@howardcountymd.gov.

Howard County, MD receives annual allocations of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) Program funding from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to be used for community development and affordable housing benefiting low-income residents of Howard County between 0-80% area median-income (AMI). 

In accordance with federal requirements for jurisdictions receiving funds from HUD for housing and community development programs, Howard County has prepared its FFY2019 Annual Action Plan, which is the final Year of its four-year Consolidated Plan for FFY2016-2019. The Approved FFY2019 Annual Action Plan can be viewed by clicking here.

The FFY2018 CAPER is a report mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for all communities that receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funding. The CAPER reports the outcomes and accomplishments set forth in the County’s FFY18 Annual Action Plan. Click here to view the CAPER.

Howard County’s Department of Housing and Community Development staff have created a HOME Investment Partnership Program  Policy and Procedure Guide as mandated by the 2013  HOME Program Rule.  For any questions related to this guide, please click here to email the HOME Specialist.

The Consolidated Plan is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program that must be completed by the entitlement community every four (4) years.  The Howard County Four Year Consolidated Plan establishes the goals Howard County proposes for the next four (4) year period and outlines the specific initiatives the County will undertake to address these goals by encouraging the development of decent housing, promoting a suitable living environment, and expanding economic opportunities.  The FFY16 Annual Action Plan is approved within the FFY16 Consolidated Plan.  The Annual Action Plan is also required by HUD and must be approved every year during the Approved Consolidated Plan time-frame.  The Annual Action Plan describes specific actions the County will take during the program year to implement the goals and objectives outlined in the Approved Consolidated Plan.