Several Columbia residents want more affordable housing so people can live and work in Howard ? not more development. But experts confess no one solution exists.
“I would like to see limited growth for the county, but sprawl has got to be addressed,” said Jim Adams, of Ellicott City, at the Columbia Democratic Club?s meeting Wednesday at Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center in Columbia.
About 20 residents joined a panel of experts to discuss the shortage of affordable housingin Howard.
Panelist Tim Sosinski, an architect from ARIUMae and member of the Columbia Housing Corp. Board, said Columbia could become an “ivory tower” of wealthy residents rather than have the diverse population its founder Jim Rouse intended.
Howard should rezone and allow the under-utilized space to be turned into areas for affordable homes, he said.
The county?s affordable housing task force, created by former County Executive James Robey in 2006, recommended “redevelopment at higher densities.”
But residents said they are nervous about increasing housing density and would rather improve the less-kept housing and sell the units at affordable prices.
An example of that idea is Guilford Gardens, said Panelist Stacy Spann, head of Howard County?s Department of Housing and Community Development.
In April, the county took over management of the 100 units in Columbia after health and safety violations were found.
“We are working very hard to modify existing moderate income houses,” Spann said.
But growth is inevitable and the county needs a plan to handle it, said Panelist Bob Buchmeier, a member of the Interfaith Committee for Affordable Housing.
“We have gotten to the point that we?re studied out,” said Panelist the Rev. Robert Turner, president of the African- American Coalition and affordable housing task force member. “Now we are at a place to make some commitment.”
“The [affordable housing] report is sitting out there and [no one] is doing anything about it,” said Panelist Bill Ross, member of the Howard County Housing Commission and affordable housing task force.
FAST FACTS
» Howard County median household income for a family of four is $91,184. Of the 97,000 households in Howard, half fall below that income.
» Families making up to $70,880 annually qualify for affordable housing.
» Seventy percent of Howard County?s workers do not earn enough to rent or buy in the county. That percentage could grow by another 24,300 positions in the next 10 years with the influx of jobs coming to Fort Meade. Their salaries are less than $50,000.
» Zoning regulations require developers to dedicate between 5 percent and 20 percent of the units toward affordable housing.
» This averages to about 100 units of the 1,500 new units each year.
Source: Howard County?s Task Force on Affordable House Report in 2006 and county officials
