ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today signed an Executive Order creating the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund Advisory Committee to assist in reviewing funding applications and making recommendations on allocations from the County’s transformational Housing Opportunities Trust Fund (HOTF). The Committee is charged with recommending funding goals for the Trust Fund, reviewing applications for use of the transformational Fund, and providing recommendations to the Housing and Community Development Board on allocations from the Trust Fund. 

Our transformational Housing Opportunities Trust Fund will be a regional model for how we can expand access to affordable housing for residents of all backgrounds. The Advisory Committee will play a pivotal role in guiding the implementation of our Trust Fund, ensuring that our investments help expand the availability of affordable homeownership and wealth-building as well as rental housing opportunities in our community.

Calvin Ball
Howard County Executive

Ball provided $5 million in funding to launch the Trust Fund in his FY23 Operating Budget, which was approved by the County Council. The transformational Trust Fund, the first of its kind in Howard County, is intended to provide additional forms of rental and home rehabilitation assistance and support housing for populations in need. Investments from the Trust Fund will support homeownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers, the preservation of existing affordable housing, and the creation of new affordable housing units. 

The Housing Opportunities Trust Fund Advisory Committee will consist of the following seven voting members: 

·       Ada Bohorfoush 

·       Kimberley Amprey Flowers 

·       Timothy Goetzinger 

·       Margaret Gold 

·       Robbyn Harris 

·       Richard Pardoe 

·       Jim Sanders 

 

In addition to reviewing applications for funding through the Trust Fund, the Advisory Committee will also make recommendations to the County Executive on future funding goals for the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund in advance of the FY2025 Budget.  

"The diverse expertise of the Advisory Committee members will be invaluable to the Department as we evaluate funding requests to best address the needs identified in the Housing Opportunities Master Plan," said Kelly Cimino, Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development. “The first funding application deadline for the Trust Fund is April 14th, and we anticipate significant interest and requests that will exceed the $5M currently available in the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund." 

For more information about the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund Advisory Committee, please visit https://www.howardcountymd.gov/boards-commissions/housing-opportunities-trust-fund-advisory-committee 

Media Contacts
Audience
Residents

Stay Connected!

Sign up for the County Executive's weekly newsletter and stay up to date on everything Howard County.
 

Zip Code