MACo hosted a one-day symposium on October 19 for county officials and professionals to dive deeply into the affordable housing topic with emphasis on the planning/zoning, infrastructure, socioeconomic, and environmental factors involved.
While heightened by the pandemic, the lack of affordable housing pre-dates COVID-19 and continues to be one of the most controversial policy debates in recent years. With this in mind, the Maryland Assocation of Counties (MACo) hosted a one-day symposium on affordable housing, seeking to bring both counties and partners to the table to unpack the complex issue of affordable housing in Maryland.
MACo’s Housing Symposium included five panels, each focusing on a different aspect of affordable housing with a variety of speakers with varying perspectives from counties, non-profits, developers, and more. The sold-out event brought more than 90 people together from across the state of Maryland to join the important conversation, making for an honest exchange of ideas between both public and private housing experts on solving a lack of home.
The symposium’s panels included:
Is It Really That Easy? An Examination of the Debate Around Planning and Zoning Policy
- Amy Moredock, Planning and Zoning Director, Queen Anne’s County
- Erin Shearman Karpewicz, Executive Director, Arundel Community Development Services
- Dan Reed, Regional Policy Director, Greater Greater Washington
Broader Than Bricks and Mortar: A Conversation on Housing Infrastructure
- Karen McJunkin, Regional Partner and Vice President, Elm Street Development
- Nicholas A. Redding, President and CEO, Preservation Maryland
- Desiree Eades, Consultant, Park Heights Renaissance
A Candid Conversation with Urban, Suburban, and Rural Leaders
- Odette Ramos, Councilmember, Baltimore City Council
- Deb Jung, Councilmember, Howard County Council
- Thomasina Coates, Commissioner, Charles County Commissioner
We’re All in This Together, But Not Impacted Equally: The Socioeconomics of the Housing Crisis
- Lisa May, Director, Advocacy and Public Policy, Maryland Realtors
- Ben Kraft, Research Planner, Montgomery Planning
- Ashley Johnson-Hare, Deputy Director, Baltimore County Department of Housing and Community Development
The Biggest Thing No One Is Talking About: A Look at Housing and the Environment
- Lee Currey, Director, Water and Science Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment
- Owen Bailey, Director of Land Use and Policy, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy
-
Lori Graf, Chief Executive Officer, Maryland Building Industry Association
Learn more about the event and speakers by viewing MACo’s Twitter coverage below:
