Politics – Gary Bennett Publishing

The role of tax credits in affordable housing

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

This articxe appears in the Opinion section of The Frederick News-Post on Saturday, August 3, 2024.

How do moderately priced dwelling units actually get built in Frederick? The short answer: It’s not easy.

It takes a lot of players coming together to make these units happen. The prices of land, material, labor costs and building fees force developers to concentrate on market rate developments to turn a profit.

All you have to do is drive around Frederick County and see all the “From the $500,000s” signs and $2,500 monthly rent ads to see this is so. Even though city and county ordinances encourage developers to build moderately priced units, many are not built because of fiscal realities.

For the last three decades, when these affordable units do get built, the federally funded low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC, pronounced “Li-tech”) has been the driving force. It is a rare congressional bipartisan success story. It finances about 90% of all affordable developments nationwide.

But these tax credits are limited, and getting one is an uncertain and highly competitive process for developers.

And, the kicker is that counties and municipalities like Frederick have little say in them. Our local governments can sweeten the pot with things like impact fee exemptions, negotiated taxes and deferred loans, but they only hear about these affordable projects when the developer approaches them for a letter of support during the competitive process.

Here’s how LIHTC works:

Federal tax credits are allocated to state housing agencies by a formula based on population. Each state agency, including Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development, establishes its affordable housing priorities.

Developers then compete for an award of tax credits based on how well their project satisfies the state’s housing needs.

Developers receiving an award use the tax credits to raise capital from investors. The tax credits are claimed over a 10-year period, but the property must be maintained as affordable housing for a minimum of 15 years.

Units funded by LIHTC must be affordable for people earning no more than 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Rent may not exceed 30% of their income.

What about those making less than 60% of AMI?

That’s a big problem if you believe safe, decent, affordable housing is a basic necessity for everyone like the Affordable Housing Council does. The sad truth is most LIHTC buildings are unaffordable to families with incomes below 60% AMI.

Here’s why:

There are two types of low-income housing tax credits: 4% and 9%. The 9% rate provides more tax credit to the developer, of course, but is ultra-competitive.

Therefore, most affordable units are developed using the 4% credit, which is a “matter of right,” meaning these credits are usually automatically available.

Unfortunately, not as much tax credit for the developers means most low-income developments are not affordable to those with the lowest incomes.

There is a clear need to reconsider how affordable housing is financed in America. Relying on LIHTC is not producing nearly enough units to address the huge deficit of affordable housing.

HUD should adjust rates to ensure that all low-income families can qualify to live in LIHTC buildings.

One way to expand access for very low-income households would be to better coordinate housing vouchers and tax credit projects to help families make up the difference in rent payments.

Frederick’s low-income developments

In recent years, due to efforts by the county’s Division of Housing and the city’s Department of Housing and Human Services, Frederick County and the city of Frederick have attracted a sizable number of affordable rental developments that utilize these tax credits. See the attached chart.

Among a few of the successful older developments not on the chart include Sinclair Way at 350 W. Patrick St., Orchard Park at Ballenger Run at 5234 Black Locust Drive and The Fred on Waverley Drive.

The new Prospect Center campus at the Old State Farm building on Himes Avenue is slated to be mostly affordable units. The plan is for 200 in four years.

The Junction at 511 W. South St. will add roughly 175 units. The Madison at 1724 N. Market St. will add another 60 affordable units.

Frederick County is quite active, but still has a long way to go in providing affordable homes for its residents.

The chart shows a total of about 1,350 affordable units in service now or soon to be. A 2016 housing needs assessment study (scheduled to be updated in 2025) shows a gap of 5,700 units.

To find an affordable home of your own, your best bet is to go to the development’s website and apply or get on a waiting list.

Editor’s note: Gary Bennett is a retired marketing executive. Hugh Gordon is the association executive for the Frederick County Association of Realtors and has decades of experience in the real estate world, including 24 years as a mortgage banker. They are longtime Frederick County residents and members of the Frederick County Affordable Housing Council.

The unlikely TV stars of 1974

By Gary Bennett

Senator Sam Ervin (D) North Carolina, 1974

This article appeared in the August 1, 2024, issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert.

To say that 2024 has been a momentous year in presidential history is putting it mildly. Attempted political assassinations and a sitting, first-term president declining to run for a second term have certainly happened before, but never in the same week!

In this regard, perhaps 1974 was a kinder and gentler year politically, but it certainly didn’t seem that way at the time.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of Watergate and President Richard M. Nixon’s impeachment, near-conviction and subsequent resignation, it’s easy to forget what a trying, yet strangely entertaining, time this was for our nation.

Bear with me on the “entertaining” part. I’ll explain.

Nowadays, if you take out the extraordinary recent events, we view history, if we consider it at all, through a lens of multiple modern presidential impeachments (and threats of impeachment) reaching back to the late 1990s and the seemingly never-ending indictments and possible trials of a former president.

Nothing shocking about 1974 then, right? Wrong.

You must remember that the Watergate scandal was new territory for all of us back then. The government was largely trusted (quaint, I know). Even the oldest among us could only read about our one and only presidential impeachment in the history books. Even then, Andrew Johnson wasn’t convicted and removed from office. It was a slap on the wrist in 1868, and we all expected the same for Nixon.

There are also stark differences in how broadcast news is gathered and disseminated now compared to 1974. Today, Mr. Trump’s troubles were largely relegated to manageable bites on the nightly network news and talk shows. You can throw in social media information and misinformation for good measure, too. Saturation? Sure, but there’s enough variety that we can avoid depressing news if we want to.

Senator Howard Baker (R) Tennessee, 1974

In 1974, we had exactly three major TV channels: NBC, CBS and ABC. All three covered Watergate wall-to-wall. There was no escaping Mr. Nixon’s troubles. And there were no cell phones, Facebook, TikTok or Instagram to distract us.

But strangely enough, most people were enthralled by the inner workings of government and the race to get to the unadulterated truth, something that seems unobtainable today. We even found us a few heroes along the way.

As a rising senior in high school during most of 1974, I was just becoming politically aware. The threat of being drafted and sent to Vietnam was lifted after my junior year in 1973, when the U.S. and North Vietnam announced an end to hostilities and the draft ended. The last few Americans “in country” were famously and haphazardly extracted from rooftops in North Vietnam by choppers, and that was that. We moved on.

Things were looking pretty good until early 1974, when we heard about a clumsy 1972 break in at Democratic National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., by a bunch of inept burglars, inexplicably called “plumbers.” Turns out they were Republican operatives working on behalf of the Committee to Re-Elect the President, or “CREEP” for short.

I would come home after school in the spring and fall or after working my part-time job in the summer, flip on the TV, and find a bunch of overweight white guys, i.e., congressmen and senators, sitting at large, mahogany tables, grilling other overweight white guys (mostly with crew cuts) about “what the president knew — and when he knew it.”

Day after day. Even during prime time. But it was all so fascinating!

Except for a few, congressmen and senators were fairly obscure back then. But soon, along came a fellow named Sam Ervin, a folksy, white-haired Democrat from North Carolina with eyebrows that were seemingly alive and a Southern drawl right out of central casting. People just ate him up. He arrived day after day as the chair of a Senate select committee to investigate the 1972 presidential campaign. He had a way of skewering people with kindness and a sleepy, “aw shucks” demeanor.

His top lieutenant was Howard Baker, a much younger, urbane Republican from Tennessee. Smooth, handsome and self-effacing, he was made for the cameras. He killed with a kind of cool, “I-already-know-the-truth” manner. And get this: He was widely described as a “liberal” Republican. Those don’t exist today, unless you want to consider the wayward RINOs.

Together, “Senator Sam” and Howard Baker were the dynamic duo of prime-time TV all summer long and into the fall. They were on TV more than Hawkeye Pierce or Archie Bunker.

The senators did battle against a rogue’s gallery of grim-looking TV villains all within the president’s circle.

White House chiefs John Ehrlichman and H.R. “Bob” Haldeman; the sitting attorney general no less, John Mitchell; White House counsel John Dean (who cooperated with the prosecution and is still alive); lead “plumber” James McCord; break-in planners G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt; and a slew of other slimy characters are all indelibly imprinted on my brain from that breathtaking time. Suffice it to say, after this fiasco, government was no longer trusted.

Of course, kind of like the Wizard of Oz, the key character in this melodrama rarely appeared onscreen in 1974. When he did, Nixon sat stoically alone in the oval office, peering into a TV camera complaining that “I am not a crook” and “when the president does it, it’s not a crime.” To Nixon’s everlasting credit, or more likely because it really was a more innocent time, that sentiment never reached the Supreme Court for a ruling.

Maybe I was a naive teenager, but it never felt like a constitutional crisis to me, at least not in the sense that we hear about today. I can’t recall that term ever being used. Nixon had the good sense to appoint a grandfatherly-looking, soft spoken, obscure congressman from Michigan, a fellow named Jerry Ford, to be his vice-president. This, after his first vice president, Maryland’s own Spiro Agnew, resigned in 1973 due to corruption. Naturally.

Nixon also never incited violence to hold onto his job. I suspect it was indeed in his nature to do so, but thankfully several fellow Republicans urged him to resign to save the country from going through an impeachment and a painfully certain conviction. Republicans declined to save him even though they could have. With two-thirds of the Senate (67%) needed for conviction, Democrats held that chamber by a margin of 57% to 43%.

It may seem quaint today, but country truly came before party back then. It also didn’t hurt that Nixon was a wholly unlikeable character. The hero-worship that seems to extend to some politicians today didn’t really exist back then. OK, maybe for the Kennedys.

Simon and Garfunkel summed up the times in their song “Bookends”: “Time it was, and what a time it was. It was a time of innocence, a time of confidences.” So true.

I leave you with a rough timeline of “our long, national nightmare,” as Jerry Ford put it when he pardoned Nixon in late 1974 when he became president.

Most wanted to see Nixon in jail for his actions. I felt ambivalent about that. He did end the Vietnam War, after all, and did some other good things like create the Environmental Protection Agency. A jailed Nixon may have hurt the country more than a pardoned Nixon. I guess we’ll never know.

This mess extended for the near entirety of that fateful year of 1974. I remember it well but certainly don’t miss it.

1974 TIMELINE

March 1 — Seven former White House officials are indicted for their role in the 1972 break-in of the Watergate Hotel and Democratic National Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

May 9 — The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee opens formal hearings in the impeachment process against Richard Nixon.

May 17 — The Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities opens hearings into the Watergate scandal.

June 27 — The Senate Select Committee issues a damning seven-volume, 1,250-page report implicating the president.

July 24 — The Supreme Court rules 8-0 in United States vs. Nixon that the president cannot withhold subpoenaed White House tapes proving he knew about the break-in and orders him to surrender them to the Watergate special prosecutor. Nixon refuses, citing “executive privilege.”

July 27-30 — The House Judiciary Committee adopts articles of impeachment, charging Nixon with obstruction of justice, failure to uphold laws and refusal to produce material subpoenaed by the committee.

Aug. 5 — The country is shocked when the “smoking gun” tape of June 23, 1972, is revealed, in which Nixon and White House Chief of Staff H.R. “Bob” Haldeman discuss (in very colorful language) using the CIA to block an FBI inquiry into Watergate. Let that sink in.

Aug. 6 — Nixon’s support in Congress collapses, even among fellow Republicans.

Aug. 7 — Three Republican Congressional leaders, Barry Goldwater, Hugh Scott and John Rhodes, visit Nixon in the White House to inform him that he does not have the votes to escape impeachment in the House or conviction in the Senate. He is urged to resign.

Aug. 8 — In a shocking evening address to the nation, Richard M. Nixon announces his resignation as president, effective at noon the next day. Nearly 100% of all American TV sets are tuned to this address. I can still remember my mom and dad sitting there, stone-faced.

Aug. 9 — As Nixon famously departs by helicopter for his home in California, Vice President Jerry Ford becomes the 38th president of the United States, the only one who was never elected.

Sept. 8 — President Ford pardons private citizen Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office.

Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.

Primer on the basics of affordable housing

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

Affordable housing project in Frederick, MD

This article appears in the Opinion section of the Saturday, June 22, 2024 edition of the Frederick News-Post.

A lot of written and spoken words have been devoted to the lack of affordable housing in Frederick County. This periodic column has discussed at length how we got into this mess and the possible long-term fixes for getting out of it.

But what exactly is meant by the terms “affordable housing,” “moderately priced dwelling units” and “payment-in-lieu fees,” among others? We will explain these terms and how the affordable housing market works in Frederick County.

What is affordable housing?

A house that costs $400,000, $500,000 or even up to $1 million can be considered affordable to those with adequate resources. But for local governments and the housing industry, the term “affordable housing” generally means housing (not just owned homes, but also rental homes) that is affordable to those with low to moderate incomes.

How do we judge low to moderate income?

The housing industry and their regulators use “area median income” (AMI) as the statistic for which the concept of affordability is based. The 2022 area median income for Frederick County is around $116,000 per household or about $51,000 for an individual. AMI is based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau information available.

Many in the affordable housing industry consider those in lower-income households to make 40% to 60% of the AMI. In other words, Frederick County households with incomes of $46,000 (low end) to $70,000 (moderate end) can usually qualify for a government-subsidized home, also known as a moderately priced dwelling unit.

How much of your monthly income should you spend on a home?

It is generally accepted that an individual or family shouldn’t spend more than a third of their disposable income on housing. If you do, you are considered cost-burdened or, in more colloquial terms, “house poor.”

Therefore, if you make around $46,000 per year (low end), you shouldn’t spend more than $14,000 on your home. That works out to a monthly mortgage or rental payment of $1,150. When is the last time you saw a monthly rent payment such as that, much less a monthly mortgage payment, advertised in Frederick County?

Hence, the problem: For folks in this income category and below, there is simply not enough affordable housing to go around in Frederick County. According to United Way’s ALICE report, more than one-third of Frederick County residents cannot afford market-rate housing.

Where do the government’s “moderately priced dwelling unit” (MPDU) programs come in?

For many reasons, it is very difficult for market rate developers to build new homes or rental communities that are affordable to those with moderate to low incomes.

It is often left to nonprofit builders such as Habitat for Humanity or Interfaith Housing Alliance to build moderately priced homes, but their capacity is not adequate to meet the need.

Both the city and county have MPDU ordinances that try to get market-rate builders to do their share. They require market rate builders to build 12.5% of new homes in a development as moderately priced.

If they can’t or won’t, they must pay a fee to the jurisdiction in lieu of building the moderately priced units. In most instances, builders pay this fee instead of building the units.

These substantial MPDU fees go into a housing initiative fund, which helps fund such laudable programs as housing rehabilitation, homebuyer assistance, rental assistance and deferred loans for future affordable housing projects that will come to market several years down the road.

In effect, while the MPDUs are not built when the builder pays the fees, those funds are repurposed into other effective affordable housing programs.

But one thing remains clear: There is no replacement for actually building the affordable units. We’ve heard that loudly and clearly from the Board of Aldermen and County Council.

Payment-in-lieu fee

Both the city and county charge $2 per square foot as a “payment-in-lieu” fee to the developer for the entire size of the development, rather than a flat fee, in the hope that more affordable units will be built rather than the builder simply paying the fee.

Because of the length of the development process, it’s still too early to know if the change to the fee is working as a strategy.

The dwelling units that are constructed, sold or rented under the MPDU ordinance are rent-controlled in order to be affordable to those with low to moderate incomes.

Income eligibility for an MPDU is set at 70% of the area’s median household income and adjusted for family size.

Sales and rental prices are set by the appropriate governmental housing director or their designee. In general, the sales or rental prices are set as to not exceed 30% of the applicant’s monthly household income.

County’s new housing director wants to gauge shortage

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

This article appears in the Saturday, June 8, 2024 issue of the Frederick News-Post.

The first director of Frederick County’s new Division of Housing, Vin Rogers, knows he has his work cut out for him. In this era of nationwide affordable housing shortages, he believes there are many ways, however, to help solve this problem in Frederick County.

This year, Housing was elevated from department to division, with a director for the first time. This change was based on a recommendation from County Executive Jessica Fitzwater’s transition team.

“It elevates us to a comparable position as other large divisions within the county,” Rogers said. “And most importantly, it’s a recognition that the county executive sees this as a key issue going forward.”

Rogers’ top priority is to update the 2016 Frederick County Affordable Housing Study, to know exactly how big the problem is.

The updated study is a key piece of the county’s affordable housing puzzle and will include the needs of Frederick County and the incorporated municipalities. In 2016, the study showed a deficit of over 11,000 units for those making less than $50,000 per year.

After measuring the scope of the housing gap, Rogers plans to devise a strategic plan to address it.

He feels it’s imperative to consider real-life circumstances in the affordable housing debate. “What happens when your adult children want to stay in the area and be close to their families? What happens when you have an elderly parent who can’t afford to stay in the home they have now? I think it is critical for us to help people understand why it is so important for our entire community.”

Rogers alsov expects to further refine and expand upon proven programs and policies that will be addressed in the study.

Rogers said the county’s moderately priced dwelling unit (MPDU) ordinance, which recently changed its fee structure, will need time to kick in. The ordinance requires developers to pay the county $2 per square foot of total development if they opt to not build affordable units.

Developers used to pay a relatively modest, static fee, but now must pay a larger, more dynamic one, which could cause them to build smaller, more affordable units.

Since the cost of land is the highest in construction, Rogers is eager to consider how much county-owned land can be devoted to affordable housing. The county recently applied for $7.5 million in federal funds to be earmarked for pre-development costs on county-owned land.

“If we are able to use county-owned land for affordable housing and have funds available for pre-development costs, we believe developer savings would be substantial enough to require deeper subsidized units or more overall units,” Rogers said.

Rogers said developers are hamstrung by red tape and suggested that a speedier, streamlined process, or “green taping,” is needed.

“We’d like to make it less burdensome for developers to bring projects to the table because it can take so long. I’d like to raise affordable housing projects to the top.”

Other jurisdictions of Frederick County’s size sell bonds to finance housing projects, replacing private equity firms as the main source of investment. This typically saves developers millions and allows more below-market units to be built.

“What I’m used to is a housing authority that can issue bonds. Unlike the city, Frederick County doesn’t have a housing authority. If we had something like that, we could be a bond issuer,” Rogers said.

Since there’s a clear need for more senior housing, which typically doesn’t add to school overcrowding and not much to crowded roads, Rogers sees substantial community value on focusing on seniors, but strategically.

“What I’ve found is that you must be able to demonstrate success before people will get on board with affordable housing development, including senior housing. You need to produce a property so impressive that people are open to more of it.”

Rogers sees accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as part of the solution. ADUs, sometimes called “granny flats,” are independent, self-contained units that can be within a single-family dwelling, as an addition, or on the same lot as the dwelling.

“I don’t know why we wouldn’t look at expanding opportunities for homeowners to provide ADUs on their own properties. I don’t think the impact of ADUs pushes us to the point where we shouldn’t go forward with them.”

More manufactured housing could help, he said. “The speed of building housing is a problem that manufactured housing could help address. The stigma of what some people call ‘trailer homes’ is slowly disappearing. The way they’re built now, it’s almost hard to distinguish them from other types.”

Rogers wants to continues the policy exempting developers from paying impact fees when they develop affordable housing units. He sees that as a key tool that requires careful consideration based on the site and the populations served.

“There’s no easy answer on how to balance the need for more housing with the clear strain on county infrastructure. But I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. We need to build, but we also need to preserve and make homeownership more affordable for the existing housing stock we have.”

On a practical level, Rogers hopes to build on a good working relationship with the city of Fredrick.

“The city is so important to affordable housing objectives. That is where the need is the greatest. We have a good relationship now, especially through the Affordable Housing Council, which has representatives from both the city and county. But the incorporated municipalities are very important, too. We hope to get them more involved in affordable housing issues.”

Frederick woman’s MS diagnosis inspires her to help others

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the Health & Fitness section of the Frederick News-Post, March 26, 2024.

Frederick resident Robin Brown remembers getting her multiple sclerosis diagnosis like it was yesterday. It hit her like the proverbial ton of bricks.

“I woke up one Saturday morning — it was April 26, 2008; I was 47 years old — and felt a tingling on my left side. I’d never felt anything like it before. Because a dear childhood friend had just survived two brain aneurisms, I got scared and took myself to the ER.”

Once there, she endured an MRI of her brain and spine. The neurologist on call delivered the bad news that she “probably” had MS.

Since MS is notoriously challenging to diagnose, she soon found herself at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for what she hoped would be a reversal of the initial diagnosis. She got the requisite lumbar puncture (also known as a spinal tap), which was frightening in its own right, and when the proteins came back positive for MS, the diagnosis was official.

“It was shocking,” Brown said. “No one in my family has it. My mother has rheumatoid arthritis, so I thought it may be that. The doctors ruled out other auto-immune disorders first such as Lyme disease and lupus. It only took four months to get my diagnosis, and that’s not normal. It usually takes a lot longer.”

Robin Brown and her “peeps” bring awareness to MS, raise funds and support each other.

WHAT IS MS?

Multiple sclerosis is a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerve cells in the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord, called the myelin sheath. It causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. It is potentially disabling and affects nearly 1 million Americans.

Doctors don’t know why this happens. It is not necessarily genetic, environmental or due to the actions of the patients. Some studies show it may be a virus that can be contracted as a teen and remains dormant until later in life, but nothing has been conclusive.

Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely between patients and depend on the location and severity of nerve fiber damage in the central nervous system. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently. Other individuals may experience long periods of remission with no new symptoms.

There is currently no cure, but treatments are available to help speed the recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.

GETTING TO WORK

There is a bright side to Brown’s harrowing diagnosis.

In characteristic fashion, she threw herself immediately into the fight to find a cure. She was diagnosed in 2008 and began her association with the National MS Society the next year, where she’s been a valuable fundraiser and leader ever since.

To help find a cure and support those with MS, Brown is active in the MS Society’s main worldwide fundraiser, Walk MS.

“Walk MS brings us together,” she said. “I love that it gives me the opportunity to make others aware. It helps me feel not so alone. When I was diagnosed, I felt very alone.”

Walk MS is an event held in hundreds of cities throughout the world where the MS community, including supporters and loved ones, come together to walk, run or bike in support of those living with MS and raise funds to help find a cure.

Everyone is welcome to participate. There is no registration fee or fundraising minimum. While there is no fee to participate, every dollar raised helps those living with MS and their supporters. Since its inception in 1988, Walk MS has raised more than $1 billion to help people with MS and their caregivers.

According to Brown, the funds don’t all go to science. Some are used for critical but sometimes overlooked things, like respite care for caregivers, walking devices or vehicles that are wheelchair accessible.

“I do this for everybody, and, of course, it could be me one day that needs these things.”

WALK MS FREDERICK

Frederick’s next Walk MS event begins at 9 a.m. April 13 at Frederick High School. The day starts with a snack, sponsor booths, photos and an official ceremony.

At 10 a.m., participants start walking on the site’s supported and accessible routes, winding their way through Baker Park and back to Frederick High. There is a 3-mile route and a 1-mile route for those not quite as ambitious. The route is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. The event concludes at noon.

New attractions this year include the Center for People Living with MS and Circles of Support. The Center provides information about the MS Society programs and resources, including self-help groups and navigators. Individuals living with MS also receive swag items there.

Circles of Support provides complimentary hand-held circles to use during the opening ceremony: yellow for those who support the mission to cure MS, green for those who love or care for someone with MS and orange for those who live with MS. The waving signs are sure to be a memorable scene at the event.

Since recent COVID-19 restrictions have been detrimental to the Frederick walk, Brown has been asked to help rejuvenate this year’s event. Her role is to be a powerhouse fundraiser and key awareness advocate for the society and walk. She has done so for many years. She heads up a team affectionately known as Robin’s Peeps, a group of 10 to 12 team members who bring awareness to MS, raise funds and support each other.

In 2023, Frederick’s MS Walk raised about $62,000 and had 295 participants. Brown and her team raised $15,000 of this total and was the top team in Frederick. Brown personally raised $13,475 of the $15,000, which ranked her No. 157 in the nation, out of more than 100,000 participants.

The goal for the 2024 Walk is to have more than 350 participants and raise $67,000. The Greater D.C.-Maryland chapter, of which Brown is a member, aims to raise $1.2 million this year during their 10 Walk MS events in Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia.

LIVING WITH MS

Brown does all this even though she has been one of the lucky ones whose symptoms have not progressed over the years. She doesn’t take this good fortune for granted. She leads an active life and works full-time as an associate agent in a busy insurance office.

“I know how lucky I am. I found the correct neurologist for me, and together we chose the correct treatment,” she said. “I use a medication called Rebif, which is injected three times a week. I am faithful to it, and it’s worked well for me. I’ve been on that same treatment since September 2008, and it has held everything at bay.”

Brown also credits her support system as key to her success. She counts support from her husband, mother, sister, other family members and countless friends as immeasurable.

“It is support for which I never have to ask. I attribute my success to working hard to manage my MS and to this unwavering support.”

Her deceased father also plays a surprisingly key role.

“My dad, who passed away in ’22, was always amazed about my attitude toward MS. He used to say that I have such a positive attitude that it’s never going to beat me. I hold on to that. It’s almost as if I just don’t want to let him down.”

Brown also co-leads a local peer support group called Messy Friends, with Dee Walter, a fellow MS warrior. The group allows folks to know they are not alone. They serve as a resource to provide information and share individual experiences.

“We Messy Friends don’t know everything, but we usually have access to information that’s helpful,” she said.

Can Frederick County ever be ‘Montgomery County North?’

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

white and gray concrete buildings under blue sky — Montgomery County, Maryland

You hear the sentiment thrown around all the time: “If we don’t stop all of this development, Frederick’s going to become Montgomery County North.”

Hyperbole? Sure. But like a lot of things, if we don’t rely on facts, misinformation can take hold.

It makes a nice political sound bite and is easy to fall back on when we see traffic getting heavier and schools more crowded. We do have an infrastructure problem that will take real political will to solve.

The hard truth, however, is we still don’t have enough housing in this county to satisfy demand. That is irrefutable.

Experts and politicians from both sides say so. But not just that, ask the 20- and 30-year-olds around Frederick who would like to purchase a starter home but can’t. Ask the working parents about finding a reasonable rent that doesn’t take most of their paycheck.

Ask the 60- or 70-year-olds who want to downsize but can’t find anything to downsize into. The problem is real and the construction you see is Frederick County’s attempt to bring balance back to the housing market.

When comparing Frederick County with Montgomery County, here are some facts to consider.

Size

Montgomery County is huge. Frederick County has about 290,000 people; Montgomery County has nearly 1.1 million.

In geographic size, Frederick County is the largest in the state. We have a land mass of about 660 square miles. Montgomery County has about 493 square miles. Frederick County has a density of about 440 people per square mile while Montgomery County’s is about 2,100 people per square mile. It would take growth of biblical proportions for Frederick County to get anywhere near the density of Montgomery County.

Growth

Frederick and Montgomery counties are growing at comparable rates. Most growth in Montgomery County is concentrated in nine large cities or areas, including Bethesda and Silver Spring, which mostly border Washington, D.C. In Frederick County, most growth is centered in and around the city of Frederick, where infrastructure and transit options are strongest.

In Montgomery County, the growth in the larger cities near Washington, D.C., has been allowed to run together, giving it a feel of sprawl. In Frederick County, most municipalities have adopted slow-growth policies. Because of this and the open-space initiatives discussed below, there can be no running together of municipalities in Frederick County.

Open space

In Frederick and Montgomery counties, large swaths of land must be kept perpetually rural because of Maryland’s agricultural reserve program. In fact, the northern part of Montgomery County is just as rural, if not more so, than Frederick County. One-third of Montgomery County, or 93,000 acres, has been designated as the Agricultural Reserve.

But Frederick County does a better job.

Its priority preservation program seeks to permanently preserve at least 160,000 acres of agricultural land and protect a total agricultural base of 200,000 acres as a rural reserve to support a diversity of agricultural practices.

When you add on land in programs like the conservation reserve enhancement program (CREP) and the Creek Releaf program, land protected in stream buffers and county parkland, the county aims to have over 200,000 of its 427,000 acres (47%) in some type of program that is or is intended to be protected against development.

The availability of adequate public facilities focuses planning and development on the municipalities of the county, chiefly the city of Frederick. Therefore, discussions shouldn’t center on maintaining the agricultural nature of the county that we all love — that is not going away—but rather should be focused on how we can best plan for development in the municipalities of the county.

Migration

It is convenient to claim that large numbers of people from Montgomery County are moving to Frederick County every day to escape growth and taxes. Some of that is happening, but not as much as we think.

According to the 2020 American Community Survey, roughly 16,000 people migrated into Frederick County from 2016 to 2020. During this same time, about 14,100 migrated out, for a net gain of nearly 2,000. Would anybody have guessed this?

Of the 16,000 who migrated into Frederick County during this time, about 3,200, or 20% came from Montgomery County. But, 2,200 Frederick County residents migrated to Montgomery County during this time, for a net of about 1,000 people.

Yes, in-migration from Montgomery County is higher than for any other Maryland county, but it is certainly not an invasion. Interestingly, when you look at per capita in-migration, Carroll and Washington counties lead the way.

an amusement park at night — Frederick County Fair, 2023

Presidents’ Day Honors an Odd Bunch

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the February 15, 20204 issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert.

The most humble of federal holidays falls annually on the third Monday of February. It’s commonly known as Presidents’ Day – but it technically isn’t.

In 1971 Congress passed a measure that redirected many holidays to a Monday date, so that workers could enjoy several long holiday weekends throughout the year.

As part of this bill, Washington’s Birthday (Feb. 22), which had been celebrated as a federal holiday since the 1880s, was to be renamed Presidents’ Day to also honor Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12).

After much debate the name change failed but lived on as Presidents’ Day when retailers embraced the term for monetary and commercial reasons.

This year Presidents’Day in Monday., Feb. 19.

Presidents 45 and 46 (Trump and Biden) dominate the news cycle now, but it is quite interesting to look back and consider what an odd lot these presidents have been.

There are founding fathers, scallywags, scholars, and simpletons. And, for an office so sought after, more than a few were accidental presidents. Even a few more never wanted the job in the first place.

George Washington falls into this category.

He never wanted the job but took it at the urging of the other founders. He wanted nothing more than to retire to his plantation after leading the nation to independence. It’s hard to believe now, but it is well documented that he was largely reviled as president. No wonder. He was constantly charting new territory in this strange new job, to the consternation of most at the time.

But he gave a gift to the young republic struggling to disassociate itself from the English monarchy that cannot be repaid and has been brought into sharp focus on Jan. 6, 2021. He voluntarily and peacefully gave up power after eight years in office. This astounded not only the other founders but also most U.S. citizens and the world who assumed he would rule until death.

The behavior of presidents proves there is nothing new under the sun.

John Adams served one term and was so upset about his one vote loss to Thomas Jefferson in the House of Representatives in 1800 for his second term that he skipped Jefferson’s swearing in. Sound familiar?

Besides Mr. Trump and Mr. Adams, John Quincy Adams (sixth president and John’s son) and Andrew Johnson (17^th president, Lincoln’s successor, and the first to be impeached) also skipped their successor’s inauguration. Each was a one-term president who lost a bitter re-election bid.

Then there is the enigma known as Thomas Jefferson.

He was a proud member of Virginia’s upper crust but also lived most of his life in heavy debt to the point of near poverty. He was a quintessential introvert. He wrote and reasoned brilliantly but had such a soft, unassuming voice that he struggled to be heard.

He was an eloquent defender of independence and liberty but was also an unabashed slaveholder. He was mostly aloof but was also the mentor of both Madison and Monroe, and helped usher in 28 years of what today would be called liberal Democratic policies.

Mr. Trump’s decision to run again in 2024 put him in sparce, but pretty good, company. Ex-presidents Grover Cleveland and Teddy Roosevelt ran again years after completing their terms. Cleveland (22^nd and 24^th president) actually won a second time and is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Roosevelt split his party in 1912 with the incumbent president William Howard Taft, thereby handing the presidency to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, a stuffy scholar who ignored the pandemic of the day.

The case can be made that Taft actually went on to an even better job. After his presidency ended in 1913, he eventually became chief justice of the Supreme Court, the only former president to do so. John Quincy Adams was no slouch either. He went on to serve several terms in the House after his presidency, which would be unthinkable today.

Joe Biden is a healthy 81-year-old but has surpassed the life expectancy of males in the U.S. If he were to die in office, it would be sad but not unusual. Several accidental presidents assumed office upon the death of the president.

John Tyler assumed office in 1841 upon the death of William Henry Harrison, who died after only one month in office, reportedly from pneumonia suffered after giving an exceedingly long inaugural address in bitterly cold weather.

Harry S. Truman and Andrew Johnson assumed office in similar manners, ascending after Franklin Roosevelt died just one month into his fourth term in 1945 and after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated just a month into his second term in 1865.

Millard Fillmore became president in 1850 upon the death of Zachary Taylor. Chester Arthur assumed the presidency in 1881 after James Garfield was assassinated just months into his first term. Teddy Roosevelt became president the same way, after William McKinley was shot in 1901 and lingered on for days dying excruciatingly of an infection from the bullet wounds.

Warren G. Harding died in office of a heart attack in 1923 midway through his first term propelling Calvin Coolidge to the presidency. And, Lyndon B. Johnson became president in 1963 after John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Of these accidental presidents, modern day chiefs Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson all won terms of their own.

Only one incumbent president was denied the nomination of his party to run for re-election. Franklin Pierce was held in such low regard and was so inept as president that the Democratic Party in 1856 went with James Buchanan as its standard bearer instead of the sitting president.

That could not happen today. Buchanan won after all this chaos that would have shaken even the most hard-bitten of modern political operatives, and is renowned for only one thing: he was our only bachelor president.

Dwight Eisenhower was such a national hero in 1948 after leading the Allies to victory in World War II, both parties courted him to run for president. Incumbent president Harry Truman even offered to step aside if Ike would agree to run as a Democrat. Imagine that today. Instead, he waited four years and ran and won twice by landslides as a Republican.

Richard Nixon was the only president to resign the presidency, doing so in 1974 at the height of the Watergate scandal. His successor, Gerald R. Ford, was the only president not elected to either vice president or president and never wanted to be president.

Besides Ford, Jimmy Carter in 1977 may have been the most unlikely modern president. His Southern, born-again Christian and plain-folks demeanor was the perfect elixir at the time (and probably no other) for a reeling nation after Nixon resigned and was pardoned by Ford.

Modern presidents George W. Bush (2001) and Donald Trump (2017) won the presidency despite not winning the popular vote. Exhilarating or shocking, depending on your point of view, this was nothing new for the U.S.

Under the Electoral College system, five presidents have been elected despite the fact that their opponent won more popular votes. Along with Bush and Trump, John Quincy Adams won in 1824 over Andrew Jackson, who went on to win in a rematch four years later, as did Rutherford B. Hayes (1877) and Benjamin Harrison (1889) with the help of some Congressional deal-making shenanigans.

Andrew Jackson was the first president to use the power of personality to propel his ascension. He portrayed himself as the hero of the common man. He was gruff, flamboyant and downright mean at times. Again, sound familiar?

Gary Bennett of Frederick is an amateur presidential historian.

Affordable housing bills well represented in new session

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

This article appears in the February 10, 2024, issue of the Fredrick News-Post’s Opinion section.

The Affordable Housing Council of Frederick County is pleased to see there is clear recognition by the Maryland General Assembly, as evidenced by the actions it is taking, of the massive shortage of affordable housing across all of Maryland.

When the 90-day 2024 session kicked off on Jan. 10, it had prefilings over more than 800 proposed bills, many of which overlap. Of these, more than 200 deal with housing, affordable housing or related subject areas. All will be heard in committees in which Frederick County is well represented.

Despite the Affordable Housing Council’s urging, no housing-related priorities made it into the Frederick County Council’s 2024 legislative package. However, the County Council did provide several position statements supporting affordable housing initiatives and particularly the landlord/tenant “just cause” eviction notice.

The Affordable Housing Council has identified the following seven bills as important to advocate for and actively track during their monthly deliberations.

• HB3: Expedited Development Review Processes for Affordable Housing — sponsored by Del. Vaughn Stewart of Montgomery County. It requires local jurisdictions to implement an expedited development review process for affordable housing.

This bill is especially attractive since it mirrors the governor’s wish to reduce the public hearing process used to delay projects or have them narrowed and a 2024 policy priority for the local Affordable Housing Council to streamline Frederick County’s and the city of Frederick’s permitting process to accelerate affordable housing projects.

• HB7: Housing Innovation Pilot Program and Housing Innovation Fund — also sponsored by Stewart. It proposes establishing a housing innovation pilot program at Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for providing loans for local housing authorities to develop mixed-income, cross-subsidized housing.

DHCD, the primary housing authority for the state, funds or insures loans for the purchase and construction of housing for low-income families; helps low- and moderate-income families buy or rehabilitate houses; and aids nonprofit organizations with grants or loans to house the elderly, developmentally disabled and homeless.

This bill dovetails nicely with Frederick County’s stated goal for its Division of Housing to expand further into the world of housing finance by prioritizing outside funding opportunities to create and preserve affordable housing.

• HB63: Property Tax Credit for Dwelling House of Disabled Veterans — sponsored by Del. Andrew Pruski of Anne Arundel County. It provides for a tax credit for dwelling houses of disabled veterans as declared by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

• SB25: Disabled or Fallen Law Enforcement Officer or Rescue Worker Property Tax Credits — sponsored by Sen. Katherine Klausmeier of Baltimore County. It proposes a tax credit for disabled or fallen law enforcement officers or rescue workers.

• HB69: Live Where You Teach Program — sponsored by Del. Marlon Amprey of Baltimore City. It authorizes the Community Development Administration in the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development to administer a homebuyer assistance program and a rental assistance program for housing near schools where school employees want to live.

• SB90, sponsored by Sen. Antonio Hayes of Baltimore City, is proposing that $200,000 be appropriated for CDA to apply to the Live Where You Teach Program.

This bill, if passed, would only apply at this time to the school staff in Baltimore City, but the positive ramifications for teachers statewide could be huge in the future.

• HB154: Revaluation of Property on Transfer After Appeal — sponsored by the chair of the Ways and Means Committee on behalf of the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. It provides for a homeowner’s property tax credit for applications submitted within three years after April 15 of the taxable year for which the credit is sought. This means that if the assessment of the property is reduced upon appeal, the taxpayer pays the lower amount.

• HB138: Financial Literacy for All Act — also sponsored by Amprey. It proposes financial literacy requirements as part of required curriculum for students. Financial literacy is an important component for understanding prerequisites for buying, renting or financing a home.

All of these proposed bills are important building blocks for the creation, preservation or financing of affordable homes in the state of Maryland.

We are heartened that help is on the way for millions of Marylanders who can’t afford the home they need.

‘A hand up’: Frederick’s leading advocate for ending homelessness in the county talks about his program and passion

By Gary Bennett

Ken Allread, Executive Director, Advocates for Homeless Families, Frederick, MD, 2024

This article appears in the Frederick News-Post’s February 2024 issue of “Prime Time” magazine.

It’s not often you find your life’s purpose after a lifetime of work, but that’s exactly what Advocates for Homeless Families executive director Ken Allread did.

Like most of us, Allread had been concerned with the welfare of homeless families his entire life but couldn’t do much about it. Then in 2009, he got an invitation to volunteer at Advocates for Homeless Families in Frederick. Now, he has been executive director for 15 years, and his passion for the mission of this somewhat obscure Frederick nonprofit has only grown.

After retiring in 2009 from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C., where he was serving as section chief in the budget division, Allread sat around the house for three weeks and decided it was not going to work for him. Luckily, his friend Joe Case was the current executive director at Advocates in Frederick and invited him to volunteer. “It will be fun,” Case wryly told Allread.

Although “fun” may not have been the best descriptor for the difficult work, it was certainly fulfilling. Allread took to his volunteer duties at Advocates with the same vigor he approached his paid career. In 2010, Allread was recognized as Advocates’ volunteer of the year, spending countless hours writing grants and doing other administrative tasks, freeing paid staff for other work.

In early 2011, the executive director position at Advocates became vacant when incumbent Joe Case decided to reestablish his professional contracting career in D.C. and left Advocates. Throwing caution (and perhaps a comfortable retirement) to the wind, Allread applied for and got the job in September 2011.

He was thrilled, but taking the job turned out to be a tough decision for Allread. At about this same time, his former employers at the U.S. Courts came calling. They wanted him to go to Serbia and help get that former communist country into the European Union. To do so, they would have to show a separation of powers. Allread took a leave of absence from Advocates, traveled to Serbia and helped their newly formed independent judiciary write an operating manual.

From homelessness to homeownership. One of Advocates’ families recently moved directly from temporary housing to their first home!

“They wanted me to stay in Serbia for a lot of money. But at the time, Joe [Case] was leaving and Advocates probably would have failed. So, I had a choice to make, and I chose Advocates,” Allread said.

Because of less than stellar management prior to Case coming on board, Advocates had only $20,000 in the bank. Most of the other nonprofits and foundations no longer trusted Advocates. Allread had to work hard to rebuild that goodwill. And by all indications, he has succeeded.

Advocates for Homeless Families is a valuable but somewhat hidden asset in Frederick County.

Perhaps misnamed, Advocates does much more than advocate on behalf of homeless families in Frederick. It operates two successful programs designed to keep homeless families together, off the streets, and eventually in a reliably-housed, stable, working, tax-paying situation.

Allread said he sees Advocates as a holistic program first and housing-provider second.

“The housing is just a means to an end,” he said. “We are a program and not a shelter. We want our clients to stand on their own, and we do everything we can to make that happen.”

Advocates currently owns 12 apartments and townhouses in Frederick that provide families with an alternative to life on the streets. Aptly named, the transitional housing program serves as a transition from shelters to permanent housing. It features intensive case management that can last up to two years.

During that time, families pay a housing fee of 30% of their income with a cap of $300 per month. “There are no free rides,” said Allread. “The goal is to eventually get them standing on their own and into public housing or, at least, get them Section 8 assistance.”

Receiving the highly subsidized housing requires more than just paying the fee. The program mandates education, training and support services to help families find jobs or increase earnings so they can afford to live on their own.

Keeping families together. A newly married couple from Advocates’ transitional housing program now has a gateway to a better life!

Advocates works closely with Frederick Community College and Hood College to steer clients into degree programs and trades that will provide enough money to live on. If they are accepted into a program like nursing, they can be with Advocates for up to three years.

“We support them as long as it takes to get that degree and a well-paying job. This doesn’t mean they won’t struggle along the way,” Allread said. “They do.”

All clients agree to a personalized plan and must meet monthly milestones to assess their progress. The program is successful in moving five or six families a year into permanent housing.

Allread admits there is a real need to increase Advocates’ funding so they can help more people by purchasing or renting more properties. They have a waiting list of about 60 households.

Currently, one-third of Advocates funding comes from private contributions, which includes individuals, civic organizations and businesses. One-third comes from charitable foundations and one-third comes from state and federal grants. A falloff in any of the three can really hurt.

He realizes Advocates has kept a low profile over the years but would like to change that. “We would love to have a development manager to get the word out about Advocates, but we’re just not ready financially. It is necessary. Our peers such as the Religious Coalition and Heartly House have development managers.”

Finally, Allread hopes the organization continues to expand and keep up its high success rate. He’s excited to see where Advocates goes in the future but overall, he knows the program works.

“Our operating philosophy is that we give a hand up and not a handout,” Allread said, “and we really mean it.”

No stopping her. Andrea, a single mother of four, has overcome homelessness and is now a full-time student at FCC and working part-time at FMH!

Working to ensure everyone has a decent place to live

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

This article appears in the January 2024 issues of the Emmitsburg News-Journal and Woodsboro-Walkersville News-Journal, page 21.

Among the many boards, commissions and councils serving Frederick city and county, there is one that advises on the charged issue of affordable housing.

Charged? Well, yes. It is hard to find another issue that elicits such visceral comments both for and against. Most folks support the availability of housing for those economically shut out of the market until it affects them directly. Everyone is for more affordable housing until they think it might affect their own property value or when construction is planned nearby. It is understandable.

That is the tightrope on which the Affordable Housing Council (AHC) is perched.

The AHC serves as Frederick County’s main forum to discuss affordable housing issues, is the main advocate for affordable, safe, and decent housing, supports affordable housing providers and their programs, and advises county and city governments on promising new and existing affordable housing laws and regulations. The council is comprised of appointed volunteers who care about affordable housing issues and have no personal stake in encouraging more affordable housing.

Position Statement of AHC

The Affordable Housing Council believes that:

All Frederick County residents deserve to live in safe, decent, and affordable housing that does not require more than one-third of their total monthly income to own or rent.
County, state, and municipal governments should look for every opportunity to incentivize affordable housing options in land use, zoning, and development laws and regulations.
All stakeholders – government entities, developers, builders, real estate firms, civic and business groups, and consumers of affordable housing – need to recognize that a lack of affordable housing is a real problem for all of us and should work together to find real solutions.
The lack of enough infrastructure to support increased housing is a real problem and should not be downplayed. Instead of punishing middle- and lower-class Americans, however, we must hold government accountable to proactively fund appropriate infrastructure, especially schools.

What is affordable housing?

The definition of affordable housing is not always accurately understood, especially in terms of today’s charged political discussion. To those with moderate to low incomes, affordable housing is usually defined as housing that requires one-third or less of their disposable income to afford. This includes rentals and owned homes. For these folks, there is not enough affordable housing to go around in Frederick County and in most parts of the U.S. In the affordable housing world, we are typically focused on the ALICE households, those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed. Basically, they are working citizens living paycheck to paycheck.

Policy Priorities of AHC

The Affordable Housing Council has been quite successful in developing housing priorities and encouraging elected officials to give them fair consideration. Indeed, both the city’s Board of Aldermen and the Frederick County Council, depend on the AHC to be non-staff housing experts. We are constantly looking for creative ideas to help increase our affordable housing stock.

Earlier this year, we recommended and were pleased when the Board of Aldermen approved the updated Moderately Priced Development Units (MPDU) ordinance. The ordinance encourages increased development of affordable housing in the city by requiring developers to pay $2 per square foot for every unit in the development if they opt out of building the required number of MPDUs. The fee had been flat but is now pegged to the size of the units in the development. The city is then charged with using the proceeds from the ordinance to fund affordable housing programs. The change in the city’s ordinance brings it into synch with the county’s MPDU ordinance.

Other AHC policy priorities we will advocate for in 2024 include:

Updating the 2016 Frederick County Affordable Housing Needs Assessment report to better reflect current housing and economic realities and to develop a strategic plan to address the findings. Such an assessment and plan would guide county and city programs and resources to better serve residents in need of affordable housing.

Increasing the portion of the county’s recordation tax revenue that is earmarked for the housing initiative fund (HIF) in one-time increments and consider permanent changes to the formula that funds the initiative. The HIF is used to provide resources that make home ownership accessible to county residents.

Supporting the implementation of the City of Frederick’s rental registration and inspection program. The program provides for protection of renters’ rights and landlord and tenant education on renters’ rights and best practices.

Advocating for the inclusion of several key policies in the City of Frederick’s form-based code initiative: implementing an affordable housing overlay, waiving development fees for projects that meet certain income requirements, allowing for more density and building height in designated areas and right-sizing parking requirements for new projects.

Streamlining Frederick County’s and the City of Frederick’s permitting processes to accelerate affordable housing projects. A particular need is to increase staff capacity and use a customer service-based approach to incentivize and encourage affordable housing projects.

Encouraging the implementation of area plans as part of the Livable Frederick Master Plan to include priorities such as implementing an affordable housing overlay, allowing more density in designated areas, aligning available public transportation with affordable housing developments, and encouraging municipalities in the county to allow construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Waiving or deferring impact fees in Frederick County and the City of Frederick charged to buyers that meet income requirements for affordable housing purchases from a developer. Further, City of Frederick should formalize the waiving of property taxes and impact fees for developers while they are building or renovating homes for sale or rent to residents meeting income requirements for affordable housing.

Hugh Gordon serves as the current chair of the Affordable Housing Council. He commented, “The need for affecting implementation and the potential for assisting seniors, school teachers, policemen, firefighters, restaurant workers, and the most vulnerable residents of Frederick County is critically important.”

According to Malcolm Furgol, vice-chair of the AHC and policy committee chair, “These policy priorities build on past recommendations by the Affordable Housing Council and progress made by Frederick County and the City of Frederick towards realizing a positive environment for safe, stable and affordable housing for all residents.”

Invitation to Participate

The issues are difficult but the stakes are high for all of us. The Frederick County Affordable Housing Council invites you to participate.

AHC meets the second Tuesday of each month at 2:30 pm at a location designated by the Council. Confirm meeting dates and location by checking https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/6371/Affordable-Housing-Council or by calling the Frederick County Department of Housing and Community Development at 301-600-6091.

Meetings are open to the public and public participation is highly encouraged. Agendas can be obtained at the website noted above. Public comment is welcome at all meetings.

If you are a Frederick County resident, a registered voter and wish to become a member of the AHC, send a letter of interest and resume to fcgboards@FrederickCountyMD.gov. Call 301-600-1102 for more information. The County Executive makes all appointments subject to confirmation by the County Council.

The AHC may be comprised of as many as 13 voting members. We currently have seven members and two very good prospects. We are working hard to ensure affordable housing consumers such as teachers, police officers, and seniors are represented on the Council as well as members of industry, nonprofit organizations, and the public in general.

Gary Bennett is a retired association executive with no stake in the housing market except for being a concerned citizen. Hugh Gordon is the association executive for the Frederick Association of Realtors and has decades of experience as a mortgage banker. They are long-time Frederick residents and members of Frederick’s Affordable Housing Council.