The need for affordable housing in Howard County is reaching “crisis proportions” and could worsen, according to the Howard County Task Force on Affordable Housing report.
“A gap in supply vs. demand indisputably exists, and it is inevitable that the gap will continue to grow unless steps are taken to ensure enough affordable housing is developed,” the final report states. “Current formulas are not getting the county where it needs to be.”
The report, submitted to County Executive James Robey on Monday, outlines the state of affordable housing in the county and provides several recommendations to address the problem.
Robey appointed the 23-member task force in June, and the report is intended to guide the incoming administration.
The recommendations include:
» Creating an affordable housing trust fund
» Making zoning changes to encourage higher-density developments
» Increasing the local funding available for affordable housing programs.
The group focused its efforts on households making 110 percent of the median income, or about $100,300.
They chose that income level because it was around the lowest level to afford the average cost of housing in the county, said Leonard Vaughan, director of the county?s Department of Housing and Community Development.
Even those making up to 120 percent of the median income have trouble affording housing, he said.
“Our problem is our market is basically pricing the housing out of the reach of most of the residents,” Vaughan said.
“The way to start is to come up with the means that pretty much address housing across the spectrum.”
Routes 1 and 40 and downtown Columbia were noted as areas of opportunity where new developments that include affordable housing can help narrow the gap.
However, one problem is many officials and residents don?t want affordable housing in their areas, often citing concerns of increased crime and lowering property values, task force member Sherman Howell said recently.
“This is going to be a dogfight, but at least we will have a blueprint to go off of,” he said.
BY THE NUMBERS
About 70 percent of the jobs in Howard County pay less than $50,000 a year, and 92,000 jobs pay less than $35,000.
Income of about $41,400 is needed to afford the rent for a one-bedroom apartment.
The average single-family home sale in 2006 to date was $485,500, and 89 percent were priced at more than $300,000.
About 68 percent of households making less than $50,000 pay more than 30 percent of their income to cover basic housing costs.
There is a current deficit of about 20,000 units, which are affordable for households with incomes making less than $50,000.
More than 6,300 new units, affordable to those making less than $75,000, are needed by 2020 to meet the demand.
Sources: Report of the Howard County Task Force on Affordable Housing, and the accompanying analysis by Richard Clinch of the Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore
