Maryland: Governor O'Malley Plans $15M for Affordable Housing

 

Gov. Martin O'Malley visited the Obery Court public housing community in Annapolis Thursday to announce plans to boost state funding for affordable housing.

 

The governor said he plans to put $15 million in the capital budget toward a program he dubbed "Rental Housing Works."

 

The money would be used to buy bonds that would help pay for building or redeveloping public housing across the state.

 

The governor's staff posted a map that showed potential sites that could use the money, and one was modernizing the Timothy House apartment building not far from Obery Court.

 

But Vincent O. Leggett, executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis, said the money might be used to help finish off the redevelopment of Obery Court.

 

The neighboring Obery Court and College Creek Terrace housing complexes have been demolished and are being rebuilt as townhomes under the single name of Obery Court.

 

The first phase is complete, with bright townhouses and a community center named for longtime Annapolis activist Zastrow Simms.

 

Leggett said he was pleased the governor picked Obery Court to make his announcement.

 

"It allows us to show off our projects," Leggett said.

 

Bulldozers and construction workers paused their work for O'Malley and other officials to make their remarks. Dozens of people at the news conference walked through mud and navigated over rocky areas to hear the governor.

 

The Obery Court redevelopment is being paid for by the housing authority, a state grant and the private company that is building the project and will manage it.

 

A similar setup was used to refurbish the Annapolis Gardens and Bowman Court communities.

 

O'Malley said the $15.5 million in state bonds will "leverage" $285 million in money from other sources. That number covers the full cost of the projects, which can include money from housing authorities, federal sources, private funds and even the value of affordable housing tax credits.

 

O'Malley and Raymond A. Skinner, the secretary of housing and community development, touted Rental Housing Works as a program that will help create jobs and help the economy.

 

"Building new housing or renovating existing housing puts money directly into the state's economy," Skinner said.

 

O'Malley said he's "laser focused" on jobs, and jobs are mentioned at nearly every public appearance he makes.

 

He said thousands of construction workers would be employed on these housing projects.

 

As well, O'Malley said there's a shortage of affordable rental housing across the state that needs to be remedied.

 

O'Malley said he's not concerned that state lawmakers might cut the money for housing when they review the budget.

 

"This one will sell itself," he said.

 

Thursday's event was the latest in a series of announcements the governor made this week, coinciding with Wednesday's start of the 90-day General Assembly session..

 

On Monday, he recognized Native American tribes. On Tuesday, he visited Germantown Elementary School in Annapolis to announce that he'll seek $372 million in school funding.

 

O'Malley also plans to make another announcement Friday.