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October 9,
2010
Dear MAHC
Members and Friends:
Last Call
for the Fall 2010 Competitive Funding Round
Applications
for the Fall 2010 Competitive Funding Round are due Tuesday,
October 12, 2010 at 5:00 PM. Applications must be delivered to the
mailroom on the ground floor of DHCD at 100 Community Place, Crownsville,
MD 21032.
MAHC Fall
Membership Mixer
MAHC held its
Fall Membership Mixer on Sept. 23rd at Reznick
Group in Baltimore.
Thank you to our event sponsors, Harkins Builders and
Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and co-sponsor, Metropolitan Baltimore
Quadel Consulting for their financial
support of the Fall Mixer. MAHC appreciates their generosity and
commitment to affordable housing. Thank you also to the 120 current
members and guests (and potential new members) who attended and
enjoyed the camaraderie of our membership and congratulations to
those who won door prizes. Our special guest, DHCD Secretary
Raymond Skinner made a few comments on his department's and MAHC's collaborations and congratulated us for
our success in 2010.
2010
Governor's Conference of Housing & Sustainable Communities
This year's
conference on Tuesday, October 5 was sponsored by the Maryland
Department of Housing and Community Development, the Home Builders
Association of Maryland, and the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition.
About 600 people attended the conference at the Baltimore Convention
Center. MAHC gave awards for the
Legislative Advocate of the Year to Sen. James ''Ed'' DeGrange and
Del. Adrienne Jones, who supported MAHC legislative activities
including adding the $2 million Maryland Affordable Housing Trust
(MAHT) fund to the capital budget. Both legislators praised former
MAHC Executive Director Kim Fry and the Coalition for direction and
assistance in securing the funding. Del Jones said ''MAHC made it
easy because of the map showing the need in every county in the
state. So when you have that as a back up, it was easier to pass
and a good thing to do.'' Sen. DeGrange said that ''Del. Jones and
I saw the need and Kim instructed them on what to do to get the funding.
'' He also noted that it takes the support and cooperation of the
Administration and Legislature and collaboration among many to get
something like this done.
A highlight of
the conference was when the keynote luncheon speaker, David H.
Stevens, HUD Assistant Secretary for Housing and FHA Commissioner,
announced that Maryland
would receive $40 million to assist homeowners in becoming current
with back mortgage payments. These funds will help distressed
homeowners who are 90 days past due on their mortgages for up to 22
months with 0% interest deferred loans up to $50,000.
DHCD Secretary
Raymond A. Skinner also announced a rate reduction to the Maryland
Mortgage Program for first time-home buyers. The department reduced
the zero point interest rate from 4-1/4% to 3-7/8%. To view
pictures from the event go to www.facebook.com/marylandhousing.
DHCD Submits
Waiver of Fees Report to General Assembly
The 2008
Maryland General Assembly introduced and passed legislation that
clarified that local governments have the authority to waive or
modify building permit or development impact fees and charges for
lower income housing projects that are not mandated by State law.
The authority was enabled for three years and the Act is scheduled
to sunset on September 30, 2011. As part of the amendment
negotiations, DHCD agreed to complete an assessment of the use of
the authority. ''An Analysis of Waivers and Modifications of
Building Permits or Development Impact Fees and Charges for Lower
Income Housing Projects'' was sent to the General Assembly on Sept.
30, 2010 and is available on-line at www.mdhousing.org/Website/About/PublicInfo/Publications/Default.aspx.
MAHC's Call for Board Nominations
The Maryland
Affordable Housing Coalition's Nominating Committee requests
expressions of interest for new Board members to serve for the term
beginning January 1, 2011 and ending December 31, 2012. MAHC
members should feel free to name themselves if they are interested
in being considered to serve on the Board.
Persons
expressing an interest in becoming a Board member would need to be
committed to active participation on the Board which would include:
attendance and participation in Board meetings, involvement in one
or more committees, attendance at MAHC events, and be a member in
good standing.
Anyone
interested in naming someone, including themselves, to be
considered for the Board of the Maryland Affordable Housing
Coalition should send a bio and a one-page description of what they
feel they could contribute to MAHC. The deadline for submitting
expressions of interest is Friday, October 29, 2010. Email
submissions are preferred and should be sent to lclark@mdahc.org.
Thank you for
your interest in furthering Maryland's
affordable housing industry.
HUD's
Legislative Changes for Section 202 and 811
HUD has posted
draft legislative changes for Section 202 and 811 on their website
for comment which are due November 1, 2010.
+ HUD's Section
202 legislative proposal can be found at: www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/202811/sec202reform.cfm
+ HUD's 811
legislative proposal can be found at: www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/202811/sec811reform.cfm
Please provide
comments in writing by November 1 to Benjamin.t.metcalf@hud.gov
.
If you have any
project or company information you would like to share, please
email me at lclark@mdahc.org
or call 443-758-6270. Thank you for your continued support of
MAHC,
Lydia B. Clark
Executive Director, MAHC
lclark@mdahc.org
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