HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — Howard County Executive Calvin Ball is unveiling a new package of legislation focused on affordable housing.
According to the county, median rent is up 23% and home prices are up 20% over the last three years.
"These sharp increases are being driven in part by high demand to live in our community and an insufficient number of homes to meet those needs," said County Executive Calvin Ball.
Executive Ball is announcing what he's calling the housing opportunity meant for everyone or HOME plan.
The bill includes rent stabilization by limiting any annual increase to the consumer price index plus an additional five percent.
Advocates for rent stabilization in the county say it doesn't do enough.
"We need stability, we can't have a whole bunch of exemptions that are adding up to a significant amount of our renters," said Blair Chisolm with the Howard County Rent Stabilization Coalition.
Under this new rule, the rise in median rent over the last three years wouldn't have been changed.
The county says it was 23% and with this bill in place the cap would've been well above at 26%.
The county executive left immediately after the meeting, without answering questions from reporters, but his assistant chief of staff gave some insight to the goals of their form of stabilization.
"Constituent reports and cases showing significant one time increases, things like 20, 30, 40, percent increases. So this bill is really about targeting those egregious excessive increases that are forcing residents out of their homes," said Felix Facchine.
The county is also considering an exemption for new and recent housing units.
"So right now we are looking at 20 years but we'll be sharing those details on Oct. 26 when the bill draft becomes public," said Facchine.
Other programs in the home plan include setting aside $1 million to help families with children in Howard County schools with security deposits or rent.
Another $1 million dollars will go towards the rent of Howard County Community College students.
The county will give $100,000 to help with renovations to make units more accessible.
A $3 million fund will be set up for rental assistance, home ownership assistance and to help get the Patuxent commons up and running.
