City of Annapolis (Anne Arundel County) and the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) have received approval from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for their detailed redevelopment plan for the Harbour House and Eastport Terrace public housing communities.
Melissa Maddox-Evans, CEO of HACA, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “I am deeply encouraged by HUD’s acceptance of our Final Transformation Plan. This marks not only a significant milestone in our journey towards revitalizing Eastport Terrace/Harbour House, but also serves as a recognition and support of our comprehensive approach to neighborhood improvement.” The plan, part of the Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant Initiative, aims to leverage public and private funds to transform struggling neighborhoods with public or HUD-assisted housing.
The approved plan includes ambitious goals such as increasing the number of available homes from 357 to 715 units, with some units at market rate, creating a mix of uses, improving vehicular and pedestrian access to the communities, and adding green space.
Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley expressed his support, saying, “Our residents deserve quality housing, and we are now one step closer to making the dream shared by the City, HACA, residents, and neighbors into reality.”
The next phase involves seeking implementation grant funds of up to $50 million. This funding will support detailed design plans, construction plans, community engagement, and more. The housing authority and the city will begin searching for developers with experience in similar projects to assist with design and construction plans. The authority plans to prepare plans over the next 18 to 24 months and then apply for the implementation grant. The interim score from HUD’s Public Housing Assessment, received in November, did not affect the CNI grant, and the housing authority plans to appeal the score.
This approval marks an important step forward in the redevelopment of these communities, promising a brighter future for residents and the surrounding neighborhoods.
