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October 5, 2005
Hagerstown, Maryland
PUBLIC HEARING – WORKFORCE HOUSING TASK FORCE REPORT
A public hearing of the Board of County Commissioners of
Washington County was convened in Court Room #l at 7:00 p.m. to
hear the recommendations of the Washington County Workforce
Housing Task Force and hear comments from the public regarding
the report. Presiding at the hearing was County Commissioners
President Gregory I. Snook. Also present at the hearing were
County Commissioners William J. Wivell, James F. Kercheval, John
C. Munson, and Doris J. Nipps. Richard Willson, Chair of the
Task Force, stated that the Task Force was appointed to address
housing issues facing moderate-income families in Washington
County. He introduced the following members of the Task Force
who were in attendance: George Anikis, Larry Bayer, Martin
Brubaker, Sherry Brown Cooper, Sharon Disque, Mark Harrell,
David Jordan, Alan Levin, James Lobley, Joan McLernon, Taylor
Oliver, William Pennington, Jr., Barbara Spielman, Charles
Wagaman.
The following recommendations were made by the Task Force to
assist the average homebuyer working in Washington County who
can no longer afford a median-priced home:
Down payment Assistance
The State of Maryland has down payment assistance loan programs,
which employers and local governments can match.
Consultant Services
Since many jurisdictions across the country are dealing with
growth pressures, the most efficient way to make progress on
evaluating the options and implementing changes would be to hire
a consultant that has done it before.
Acquisition with Rehab
Older homes on the market that do not meet lending standards
could be rehabilitated by the local government and resold to
eligible families. The City of Hagerstown has successfully used
Community Development Block Grant funds in this manner to boost
the homeownership rate.
Amend the Excise Tax Ordinance
Base the excise tax on square footage so that more modest homes
pay less than the larger ones utilizing a sliding scale. The
Task Force also recommended that one fee structure be used for
single and multifamily construction. Also, the excise tax fee
should be collected for additions over 1,000 square feet.
Pursue Regulatory Relief
The Task Force recommended that County staff and the development
community review and change current codes and ordinances that
increase the cost of housing without adding value.
Manufactured Housing
Allow manufactured housing in any residential zone since this
type of housing is less costly per square foot and is visually
indistinguishable from stick-built housing.
Graduated Tax Credit
Allow real estate tax on a new home to be phased in over a five-
year period to permit additional workforce housing buyers to
qualify for mortgage financing.
Private Sector Involvement
Offer density bonuses and fast tracking to developments whose
unit mix is at least 50% workforce housing over a four-year test
period. If this voluntary effort fails to attain the goal of
having 10% of the County’s annual housing production be
affordable to moderate income households, then institute
inclusionary zoning with mandatory production goals.
Land Trust
Creation of a public land trust would provide a way for
workforce housing families to finance property without having to
pay for the land.
OCTOBER 5, 2005
PAGE TWO
Trust Fund
A trust fund would create a pool of flexible dollars to invest
in housing affordability programs. The trust fund could receive
fees from developers that opt out of program requirements.
Use of Income Limits
The Task Force suggested that, while they focused on moderate
income families (those earning between 50% and 120% of median
income), the programs created to address the needs of workforce
housing families would only set an upper income limit for
eligibility, and could include mortgage-qualified families at
35% or 40% of median income.
The public hearing was adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
Mr. Willson stated that the Task Force would have its final
report to the Commissioners on October 25. Commissioner Snook
stated that House Bill 1272 requires that the report be provided
to the local delegation to the General Assembly by November 1,
2005. The meeting was then opened for questions from the
Commissioners. After taking all questions from the
Commissioners, the meeting was opened for public comment.
Daniel Moeller and Diane Eves spoke at the hearing. The
hearing was closed at 7:55 p.m.
__________________________,
County Administrator
,
County Attorney
,
Clerk