Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation

TO MAKE LOW-INCOME HOUSING AVAILABLE TO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.

CDHC WORKS WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION (THE "COUNTY"), THE HOWARD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ("HRD"), AND HOWARD COUNTY HOUSING COMMISSION (THE "COMMISSION") TO IMPLEMENT THE VARIOUS OBJECTIVES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA, MARYLAND. THESE FOUR PARTIES, CDHC, HRD, THE COMMISSION, AND THE COUNTY, ENTERED INTO A LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WRITTEN AGREEMENT TITLED "AGREEMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA" ( 4-PARTY AGREEMENT) ON FEBRUARY 3, 2017, WHICH IS TO BE READ IN CONFORMITY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AGREEMENT ("DRRA") EXECUTED BY THE COUNTY AND HRD ON THAT SAME DATE. IN 2022, HRD COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION AND BEGAN LEASING MARLOW IN THE MERRIWEATHER DISTRICT. MARLOW INCLUDES 15 VERY-LOW INCOME UNITS (VLIUS) AND 15 MIDDLE INCOME UNITS (MIUS). THE COMMISSION AND HRD ARE FINALIZING THEIR MASTER-LEASE AGREEMENT FOR THE VLIUS. MARLOW JOINS JUNIPER APARTMENTS AS THE SECOND RESIDENTIAL BUILDING WITH INCLUSIONARY UNITS. JUNIPER HAS 12 VLIUS AND 12 MIUS. THE JUNIPER UNITS ARE LEASED AND OCCUPIED, EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN ONE OF HOWARD COUNTY'S MOST EXPENSIVE NEIGHBORHOODS.UNDER THE DRRA, CDHC SHALL USE ITS COMMERCIAL FEE REVENUE TO ASSIST THE COMMISSION IN COVERING THE UTILITY COSTS FOR THE VLIUS. IN 2022, CDHC UPDATED ITS MOU WITH THE COMMISSION TO ASSIST IN COVERING THE UTILITY COSTS FOR THE VLIUS AT MARLOW AS WELL AS AT JUNIPER.

THE DRRA REQUIRES HRD TO PROVIDE CDHC WITH AN AMOUNT INTENDED TO BE AT LEAST $7,775,000 TO SUPPORT A LIVE-WHERE-YOU-WORK PROGRAM ("LWYW") WITHIN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA, MD. CDHC HAS DEVELOPED A PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES RENTAL SUBSIDIES TO EMPLOYEES WHO RENT IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA, MD. THE SUBSIDIES ARE EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MARKET RENT FOR THE RENTAL UNIT AND THE LIHU RENT OR THE MIHU RENT FOR THE UNIT (BASED ON THE TENANT FAMILY INCOME). CDHC HAS AN AGREEMENT WITH EACH EMPLOYER WHEREBY THE EMPLOYER SOLICITS APPLICATIONS FROM ITS EMPLOYEES AND SELECTS THE PARTICIPANTS. CDHC AND THE EMPLOYER EACH PAY ONE-HALF OF THE SUBSIDY.HOWARD COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL AND THE RESIDENCES AT VANTAGE POINT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM AND 5 OF THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE PROGRAM. AN EMPLOYEE MAY PARTICIPATE FOR THREE (3) YEARS. THREE EMPLOYEES COMPLETED THEIR 3-YEAR LWYW TERMS IN 2022. CDHC PARTNERED WITH DHCD AND BRIDGES TO HOUSING STABILITY TO PROVIDE THESE WORKERS WITH ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING THEIR NEXT HOMES.

THE DRRA DESIGNATES FIVE SITES IN DOWNTOWN TO BE DEVELOPED AS LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT ("LIHTC") PROJECTS. THE PROJECTS WILL BE LOCATED ON LAND OR IN AIR RIGHTS CONVEYED TO THE COMMISSION BY EITHER HRD OR THE COUNTY.CDHC ADVOCATED THROUGHOUT 2022 FOR FORWARD PROGRESS ON THE LIHTC PROJECTS. DESPITE THESE EFFORTS, PROGRESS ON THE LIHTC PROJECTS REMAINS SLOW. WE REACHED OUT TO BOARD OF EDUCATION (BOE) MEMBERS TO EXPLAIN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SITING OF THE NORTH COLUMBIA FIRE STATION AND THE SENIOR HOUSING PLANNED FOR THE BANNEKER FIRE STATION SITE AND TO REQUEST A TIMELY RESPONSE TO THE COUNTY'S REQUEST TO PURCHASE BOE PROPERTY FOR THE FIRE STATION. WE WELCOMED THE BOE'S POSITIVE DECISION.CDHC RECEIVED REGULAR UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF THE LIHTC PROJECTS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE COMMISSION THROUGHOUT 2022. THESE DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON NCC AND ARTISTS FLATS, THE BANNEKER FIRE STATION, AND THE NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY PROJECT. WE ALSO FOLLOWED THE 2023 BUDGET PROCESS BEFORE THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND TESTIFIED IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED BUDGETS FOR THESE THREE PROJECTS.THE COUNCIL PLACED LIBRARY PLANNING FUNDS IN CONTINGENCY DURING THE 2023 BUDGET PROCESS AND NO PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN RELEASING THESE FUNDS. NCC AND ARTISTS FLATS CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT FUNDING GAPS THAT MUST BE RESOLVED BEFORE THE PROJECT CAN PROCEED TO CONSTRUCTION. IN 2022, CDHC AGREED TO INCREASE ITS FINANCING SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS FLATS BY $1M TO $3.5M. THE COMMISSION APPLIED FOR ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDING OF $6M FOR ARTISTS FLATS. THE COMPETITION WILL BE TOUGH AND AWARDS ARE NOT EXPECTED BEFORE EARLY 2023. BUILDING PERMITS ARE IN THE LAST STAGES OF APPROVAL AND SHOULD BE READY IN JANUARY 2023. WE REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT A LAND CLOSING WILL OCCUR IN 2023.