On behalf of the Baltimore Regional Fair Housing Group, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council invites you to a bus tour of housing created through local inclusionary zoning ordinances in Howard and Montgomery Counties. The tour will be followed by a roundtable discussion over lunch with expert funders and practitioners in the field. Both will occur Wednesday, June 4, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, beginning and ending in Ellicott City. The event will be led by the Innovative Housing Institute and the Baltimore Regional Fair Housing Group.
Suggested attendees include planning directors, elected officials, planning commission members, county attorneys, government affairs officers, administration officials, and housing practitioners.
Description:
Studies prepared by some of the nation’s most trusted institutions show that access to opportunity through a quality residential neighborhood is a primary driver in a family’s success. In addition, recent enforcement activity in the courts has emphasized the role of local zoning in meeting the duty to affirmatively further fair housing. Inclusionary zoning ordinances require the creation of affordable housing units as part of new market-rate development, compensating developers with additional development capacity or other mechanisms.
We will be touring three examples of successful inclusionary housing programs in Central Maryland and will be spotlighting these developments during the tour. Participants will see:
- Solaire Metro Apartments: An apartment building in the new Ripley District next to the Silver Spring Metro Station with 295 apartment homes. 44 of the apartments are Moderately Priced Dwelling Units.
- Montgomery Housing Partnership MPDU Program: Montgomery Housing Partnership is a private developer that has created many rental and home ownership opportunities using the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) program. Our tour includes an example of these successful developments.
- Ellicott Crossing Townhomes: A homeownership community in Ellicott City that utilizes Howard County’s Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) program to allow residents making up to 80% of the area median income to purchase a home of their own. On the way to Ellicott Crossing we will drive by Howard County rental communities with MIHU units: Orchard Meadows at North Ridge and the Alta at Regency Crest senior community.
After seeing these examples, we will have a variety of program managers and practitioners on hand at Howard County’s Roger Carter Community Center to share their experiences and answer questions about inclusionary housing, including:
- Patrick Maier, Executive Director, Innovative Housing Institute
- Stephanie Killian, Manager, Affordable Housing Programs, Montgomery County Division of Housing
- Kelly Cimino, Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) Coordinator, Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development
- Robert A. Goldman, President, Montgomery Housing Partnership
The bus tour will begin at 9:00 a.m. on June 4 at Lot F near downtown Ellicott City. Lot F is at the northwest corner of Ellicott Mills Dr. and Main St., latitude/longitude coordinates 39.269327, -76.800549 (paste into Google or other online map). The roundtable discussion over lunch will be held at the nearby Roger Carter Center, 3000 Milltowne Dr. and will end by 2:00 p.m.
Please contact Daniel Pontious if you have other questions about the event:
Daniel Pontious
Housing Policy Coordinator
410-732-0500, x1055
