Councilmember Walsh Files Two Bills to Increase Affordable Housing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  

Contact Wendy Royalty: (410) 313-2001
WRoyalty@HowardCountyMD.gov  

Councilmember Walsh Files Two Bills to Increase Affordable Housing  

Ellicott City, MD (January 10, 2021) – At last week’s legislative session for the Howard County Council, Councilmember Liz Walsh introduced Council Bills 7 and 8-2022, two bills aimed at increasing affordable housing in the County. CB7 and CB8-2022 would add a Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) requirement to Planned Golf Course Communities (PGCCs) in the County, such as Turf Valley.

CB7 and CB8-2022 received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the County’s Planning Board, as well as unanimous support from the County’s Housing and Community Development Board. As written, the legislation would require 15% of future residential units in a PGCC to be MIHUs on-site at the development. CB7 has also received the support of the County’s Affordable Housing Coalition  

“This legislation is all about fairness. Almost every other zoning district in this County has an affordable housing requirement. If the goal is to increase affordable housing in this County, why does this one not?” said Councilmember Walsh. “Approval of CB7-2022 will finally end a 35-year-old housing policy decision that today is inconsistent not only with the policy directions expressed in the current General Plan, but also with the Housing Opportunities Master Plan,” noted Howard County Housing Affordability Coalition coordinator Jackie Eng. “This bill will bring PGCC zoning in line with other zoning regulations as well as in line with County leadership’s commitment to ensure diversity and inclusion across all areas of its policy and regulatory initiatives – and that certainly includes housing.”  

Testimony for these bills will be accepted at the legislative public hearing on Tuesday, January 18th, 2021. Anyone may sign up to testify by visiting https://apps.howardcountymd.gov/otestimony. The meeting is open to the public and may be viewed online by visiting https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/OnlineTools/Watch-Us. If you would like to submit written testimony, please email CouncilMail@HowardCountyMD.gov.  

To read Council Bills 7 and 8-2022, please visit https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/Legislation.  ###