Chairman Ball and Members of the County Council:

The League of Women Voters of Howard County supports the numerous proposed changes to the County Moderate Income Housing Code presented in Council Bill 74.

Ten of the 14 proposed changes add clarifying language to existing provisions of the code. The League supports the language that an eligible purchaser has been pre qualified by the Housing Department to obtain a mortgage (Section 13.401g) and the Housing and Community Development Board not the Housing Commission set the initial sale price of the dwelling unit. Sections13.401i; 14.402i; and 13.403(a)(1-4).

The League supports an average of the homeowners association fees or condo fees charged for similar units in the market be included as a factor in the twice a year setting initial sale price for each type of moderate housing by the Housing and Community Development Board. (Section 13.403a(5)(ii-iii). The league also supports the new provisions to allow the Board flexibility in setting the sales price based on specific factors. (Section 13.403a(10-12). The League supports extending rental restrictions to perpetuity. Section 13.405(a).

New Sections 13.403(L) and 13.409(12) establish the opportunity for a subsidy fund for continuing care retirement communities. This fund would be used for to defray the rental component of any fee charged for the occupancy of a moderate income housing unit so that the unit cost is affordable to a household with an annual income equal to or not less than 60% of median income. Although we support the idea of a subsidy fund it should not be derived from not providing moderate income housing units in a continuing care retirement community. The League urges the Council to strike this proposed provision.

The League urges favorable consideration of County Council Bill 74 with the exception of Sections 13.402(L) and 13.409 (12).

BGrace Kubofcik
Co-president