Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced the first new Housing Opportunities Master Plan process in more than a decade. The process will include hiring an independent consultant to find potential approaches in housing, including ways to expand homeownership opportunities and ensure a sustainable future of housing in Howard County.

Ball also signed an executive order to form a Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force, comprised of a diverse group of community members and stakeholders who will ensure an inclusive, transparent, community-driven process. The plan is envisioned to take approximately one year to complete so that the county can consider fiscal 2022 budget investments, based on the recommendations.

The steps of the Housing Opportunities Master Plan process include:

  1. Data Collection
  2. Outreach
  3. Explore Approaches in Other Jurisdictions
  4. Identify Options
  5. Conduct Application Projections and Assessments
  6. Finalizing the Plan
  7. Composing and Presenting the Final Report
  8. Post-Project Implementation Review

The Housing Opportunities Master Plan Task Force will provide a local understanding of the broader issues concerning housing needs and they will promote public involvement during the development of the Master Plan. The members include:

  • Paul Casey
  • Pat Sylvester
  • Jennifer Broderick
  • David Nitkin
  • Paula Seabright
  • Steve Breeden
  • Brian McLaughlin
  • Maria Miller
  • Roger Barnes
  • Leonardo McClarty
  • Joan Driessen
  • Mavis Ellis
  • Brent Loveless
  • Bill McCormack
  • Anne Brinker
  • Cindy Parr
  • Kevin Kelehan
  • Erica Byrne
  • Victoria Hathaway
  • Dr. Caroline Harper
  • Ana Cisneros
  • Linda Wengel
  • Phyllis Zolotorow