Thank you to our Sponsors!

Platinum

Gold

     

Silver

AGM Financial Services
Ballard Spahr
Bozzuto Construction
CBP Constructors
CPDC
Conifer Realty
Maryland DHCD
Gallagher, Evelius & Jones
Howard County Housing
Klein Hornig
Landex Corporation
Osprey Property Company
Pennrose Properties
PNC Bank
Quantum RE Management
Shelter Development
Southway Builders
SunTrust Bank

Bronze

Baltimore Housing

Boston Capital

CHAI, Inc.

CL McCoy Framing

Conifer LeChase Construction

Delaware Valley Development Corp.

Green Street Housing

Grimm & Parker

Habitat America

Housing Trust of America

Hudson Housing Capital

Humphrey Management

Ingerman Management

Marks Thomas Architects

Natnl Fdn for Affordable Housing Solutions

Novogradac & Company

Pax-Edwards

PIRHL

R4 Capital

Raymond James

Real Property Research Group

Red Stone Equity Partners

Stavrou Companies

Victory Housing

Wells Fargo

Woori America Bank

Non-Profits

ACDS

AHC of Greater Baltimore

ARC of the Central Chesapeake Region

Episcopal Housing

HOC of Montgomery County

Interfaith Housing Alliance

MAHRA

Mission First Housing

Volunteers of America

Chickie Grayson, President

Ivy Carter, Vice President

Jonette Hahn, Treasurer

Kathleen Koch, Secretary

Eric Brown

Ed Delany

Jim French

Kim Fry

Phil Gibbs

Jeff Hettleman


Trudy McFall, Ex Officio


Michael Pitchford

Dave Raderman, Of Counsel

Peter Siegel

Corine Sheridan


Andrew Vincent

Jessica Zuniga

Dear MAHC Members and Friends,

I want to thank everyone who attended our Spring Breakfast Event with Secretary Holt on April 22, and congratulate Osprey Property Company, Pax-Edwards, Montgomery Housing Partnership and Harkins Builders on their awards!  As you can see from the photos below, we had a great crowd.  We also received good news from the Secretary - the RHW Program will not be negatively impacted by the lower funding level for the program in the 2017 budget.  For more on this and other important DHCD updates from the event, see the Recap article below. 

DHCD is due to release the second draft of the QAP momentarily, so I urge you to review the revised QAP and provide any comments to the Department before the public hearing and final comment period this summer.  This is your opportunity to shape rental housing policy in Maryland.  In other news, DHCD announced that they received another $2 million grant from the Weinberg Foundation for additional deeply-subsidized units.  They also expect to receive $3 million from the newly-funded National Housing Trust Fund next year.  We appreciate the Department’s commitment to pursuing additional financing sources for affordable housing across the State. 

While you are making plans for the summer, and scouting out potential development opportunities, I encourage you to schedule time to take advantage of the networking opportunities and information provided at our Brown Bag Lunch series.  Upcoming sessions will include topics such as DHCD bond financing opportunities, the Baltimore County Conciliation Agreement, and Overcoming Development Concerns in Communities of Opportunity.  Make the most of your MAHC Membership – attend an upcoming event and join a Committee (or two!).

                                                                                                                         ~Chickie Grayson 

Over 120 MAHC Members participated in this year's Breakfast with the Secretary Event on April 21, 2016.  DHCD presented several awards, including the Expanding Housing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Award to Osprey Property Company and Pax-Edwards for their Riverwoods at Tollgate Project; the Community Impact Award went to Montgomery Housing Partnership for their Silver Spring Library Residences project; and the Excellence in Construction Safety Award went to Harkins Builders.  In addition, DHCD staff summarized the comments they received to the first draft of the QAP and reported that the next draft would be out for review in early May.  Most importantly, Secretary Holt assured us that even though RHW did not receive the funding level we hoped for, it was combined with the Rental Housing Program and included in the CIP so that will provide the Department with greater flexibility on where the funds will come from and assures that the program is funded for the next five years!

The brown bag lunch series returns in June with two sessions and a bonus energy efficiency discussion group meeting.  First, join us on June 16, 2016 in Palmer Park for a roundtable discussion with DHCD staff on creative ways to fund bond deals.  They are looking for ideas on how to get more involved in bond transactions and want your suggestions on how they can be more creative with their financing tools.  Then, on June 29, 2016 join us in Middle RIver to hear from Andrea Van Arsdale and Marsha Parham from the Baltimore County Departments of Planning and Housing (respectively) to learn more about the Conciliation Agreement and the funding they have available to finance affordable housing projects in areas of opportunity.  Also, our Energy Discussion Group series continues on June 22, 2016 in Brooklyn Park where staff from the DHCD Building and Energy Building Program division will talk about funding available to make energy efficient improvements to your rental properties, what properties are eligible, and how to apply.  Go to our CALENDAR PAGE to register for any of our upcoming events.

• DHCD received 40 comments to the first draft of the QAP and Guide for 2016.  They plan to release the next draft by month end and will have another comment period.  To view the draft QAP, Guide, and all other documents released by DHCD go HERE.  
  
  
• DHCD and its other State partners (DHMH and DOD) were recently awarded a new $2 Million grant from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to fund an additional 10-15 housing units that will serve persons earning 15-30% of AMI.  The first Weinberg grant created 20 units, so the additional funds will allow DHCD to continue providing capital funds to developers to create deeply subsidized units for persons with disabilities. 
  
  
• DHCD recently published two funding announcements.  The first is for $3.7 Million in funds available for the installation of energy conservation measures in multifamily buildings in BGE territories where at least 80% of tenants earn 60% AMI or below.  Priority will be given to master metered buildings and work must be completed by April 30, 2017.  Go HERE to review the announcement.  They also have $250,000 available for builder operator training, which also must be for properties in BGE service areas and completed by April 30, 2017.  Go HERE to review the announcement.
  
  
• DHCD has issued a NOFA for Project Based Rental Assistance open to existing non-age restricted properties in their portfolio that want to provide additional units for persons with disabilities.  More details HERE.