Ulman Backs Housing Trust Fund, Additional PATH Requests

By George Berkheimer, STAFF WRITER

Speaking before a coalition of religious and community organizations last month, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman promised to create a housing trust fund to help leverage the creation of more affordable housing in the county. He also pledged his commitment to involve county government in finding solutions to a host of other housing, youth transportation and youth employment concerns.
These and other issues were raised at the PATH (People Acting Together in Howard) organization's fall assembly at the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center on Nov. 18. During the evening, approximately 250 county residents heard testimony from various people adversely affected by these issues.
At the same time, they heard about some of the achievements already secured by PATH, an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), in its 19 months of existence.
"We've had some very real, tangible successes," said Rev. Paige Getty of the Universalist Unitarian Congregation of Columbia. "Last year we asked for and received new and improved bus service in the county."
She also noted that PATH has succeeded in establishing a favorable working relationship with the county executive.

Housing Crunch
"I am very much in favor of creating a Housing Initiative Fund," Ulman told the assembly. "We will get this done."
But it is still too early to talk about a timeline or funding, he acknowledged, cautioning that the idea might first need to be approved by the Maryland General Assembly.
"We're talking with [the Howard County] Office of Law" about what needs to be done, he added.
So far, Montgomery County remains the only jurisdiction in Maryland that maintains a Housing Initiative Fund for building new affordable housing and buying or renovating existing moderate income housing units (MIHUs).
Christianne Howey, co-owner of Columbia-based Microwave Telemetry, told Ulman and coalition members that her company has difficulty filling vacant positions because of the affordable housing dilemma.
"Forty percent of our employees do not live in the county," she said, "and only one out of six employees recruited in the last five years lives here."
An increase in affordable housing stock attractive to young professionals "would go a long way" toward helping the 16-year-old company "remain the world leader in its field," she said.

Mobile Homes and Mortgages
Getty reported that the county's workforce housing problems are compounded by a loss of affordable units each year through development or conversion, as well as losses that come through the closing of mobile home parks.
Speaking for PATH, she urged Ulman to commit to a policy of one-to-one replacement for lost affordable housing units.
"I want to go further," Ulman assured her. "There needs to be a net gain, not just replacements."
Ulman did not, however, agree with a separate PATH request to codify mixed-income developments into county law. Although his administration policy is for all MIHUs to be developed on-site, current law still permits developers to transfer MIHUs off-site. The county should still be able to move units in extreme cases, he said.
LaMona Linder, a senior citizen residing in the Capital Mobile Home Park on U.S. 1, told Ulman that she has genuine concerns about her ability to remain in Howard County if the park were to close.
"My income is only $23,000 a year," she said. "Affordable housing is $40,000 in Howard County ... [and] I don't want to live in a box within a box, which is what apartments represent to me."
Ulman pledged his support for a bill crafted by Delegates Guy Guzzone (D-13), Steven DeBoy (D-12A) and James Malone (D-12A) that would give residents the right of first refusal when mobile home park owners receive redevelopment proposals from developers.
In addition, Ulman agreed to convene lenders and mortgage brokers in Howard County to come up with a strategy to deal with the ballooning mortgage crisis.

Youth and Transportation
Howard County upgraded its transit system last year with service to new areas along with extended service hours and half-hour service on some routes. However, PATH representatives argued that more needs to be done.
Oakland Mills High School senior Francisco Davis said he feels the transit system has failed the county's youth. To illustrate his point, he related that just getting to the assembly meant a 30 minute walk for him because bus service from Owen Brown stopped at 6:20 p.m., 40 minutes before the meeting began.
"In our meetings with Howard County youth in schools and faith communities, the message was clear," Getty said: Students want more access to activities.
"Many middle- and lower-income families are working longer hours to cover the high cost of living in our area and aren't able to pick their children up if they stay for after-school activities," she said.
Ulman agreed to work with the school system to determine the cost of providing activity buses for youth. "We will have some specific answers the next time we get together," he said.
He also agreed to call together business leaders from the public and private sectors to seek more summer employment, internship and mentoring opportunities for the county's youth.
Ulman encouraged the PATH coalition members to continue their advocacy, particularly in testifying on affordable housing issues before the county council. "Your presence is so important," he said. "They need your presence ... to know there is another side to the issues."