Read more about the article Dept. of Energy Defines Zero Emissions Buildings
Energy / Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations
Dept. of Energy Defines Zero Emissions Buildings

The US Department of Energy recently released a new federal definition for zero-emission buildings.  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced a National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building to advance public and private sector efforts to decarbonize the buildings sector, which is responsible for more than one-third of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The definition is intended to provide industry guidance to support new and existing commercial and residential buildings to move towards…

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June 13, 2024
Read more about the article Deep Dive: Much Ado About ADUs
County News / Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning
Deep Dive: Much Ado About ADUs

This article is part of MACo's Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. A new article is added each week – read all of MACo's Policy Deep Dives. During the 2023 legislative session, the General Assembly passed SB382, creating the  Accessory Dwelling Unit Policy Task Force. The Task Force had three charges: survey and document a representative sampling of State and local codes,…

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June 12, 2024
Read more about the article Hanover Street Wetlands: Baltimore’s New Environmental Initiative
County News / Environment / Housing and Community Development / News You Can Use
Hanover Street Wetlands: Baltimore’s New Environmental Initiative

In Baltimore, state, local officials and organizational partners came together to break ground at the Hanover Street Wetlands.  This community-led environmental partnership is transforming the Hanover Street Wetlands, as the first step in an ambitious initiative for habitat restoration, coastal resilience, community development, and environmental justice. “It’s right in our backyard,” Peggy Jackson-Jobe, a 49-year resident of the adjacent Cherry Hill neighborhood and the chair of the Cherry Hill Community Coalition. “It gives the residents…

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June 7, 2024
Read more about the article Anne Arundel Launches New Housing Resource Portal
Housing and Community Development
Anne Arundel Launches New Housing Resource Portal

Anne Arundel launches new Housing Resources Portal as a one-stop hub for housing-related resources and information. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, the Office of Equity and Human Rights (OEHR), and Arundel Community Development Services, Inc. (ACDS) recently launched a new housing portal, which will serve as a one-stop hub for housing-related resources and information. According to Anne Arundel County: “In a housing affordability crisis like the one our working families are experiencing today, we…

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June 6, 2024
Read more about the article Moore Announces 1.75M to Support Local Nonprofits
County News / Economic Development / Housing and Community Development
Moore Announces 1.75M to Support Local Nonprofits

Governor Wes Moore announced $1.75 million in tax credits for nonprofit organizations through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Investment Tax Credit program. The funding will assist nonprofits with capital and operating costs associated with local housing efforts and community revitalization projects and initiatives. "Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. Our local nonprofit leaders possess a deep knowledge of the challenges Marylanders face, and we have an obligation…

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May 30, 2024
Read more about the article HUD Moves to Streamline HOME Affordable Housing Grant Program
Seal of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations
HUD Moves to Streamline HOME Affordable Housing Grant Program

HUD is proposing rules aimed at boosting the housing supply, supporting homeownership, and reducing the burden on states and local governments. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a preview of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modernize regulations for the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), with publication in the Federal Register to follow soon. The proposed rule would streamline program requirements for states and localities, better align HOME funding with other…

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May 29, 2024
Read more about the article Conduit Street Podcast: Navigating County Budgets – Trends, Challenges, and Solutions
County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Taxes and Revenues
Conduit Street Podcast: Navigating County Budgets – Trends, Challenges, and Solutions

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, hosts Michael Sanderson and Kevin Kinnally discuss the financial challenges facing Maryland counties.

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May 24, 2024
Read more about the article Gov Moore Announces $19.6M to Provide Internet Access to 2,400 Maryland Households
Broadband / Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations
Gov Moore Announces $19.6M to Provide Internet Access to 2,400 Maryland Households

Governor Wes Moore announced $19.6 million in fiscal 2024 awards through a new Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development program to help more Marylanders access high-speed, affordable internet. Home Stretch for Difficult to Serve Properties, administered by the department’s Office of Statewide Broadband, will provide internet access to approximately 2,400 unserved Maryland households in its first round. Many unserved locations are unserved not because of a lack of nearby infrastructure but because of the…

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May 20, 2024
Read more about the article Energy Star to Start Certifying Home Construction, Maryland Partners Lead in Implementation
Energy / Environment / Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations
Energy Star to Start Certifying Home Construction, Maryland Partners Lead in Implementation

The EPA is launching ENERGY STAR® NextGen™ Certification for New Homes and Apartments, with developers and utilities in Maryland leading the implementation effort.  Energy consumption can represent a large share of housing costs for homeowners and residents nationally. In an effort to increase efficiency and lower utility bills, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is launching the ENERGY STAR® NextGen™ Certified Homes and Apartments, a voluntary, leading-edge certification program for the nation’s residential new construction sector.…

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May 16, 2024
Read more about the article Montgomery Creates Fund to Preserve Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing
Housing and Community Development
Montgomery Creates Fund to Preserve Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing

Montgomery County recently created the Nonprofit Preservation Fund to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing by providing low-interest interim loans to support nonprofit developers and the Housing Opportunities Commission.  Montgomery County and the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC) have launched the Nonprofit Preservation Fund (NPF) to preserve affordable housing. The NPF will be funded with $50 million by Fiscal Year 2025 to provide low-interest interim loans to support nonprofit developers and HOC in acquiring and preserving naturally…

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May 15, 2024
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