County Exec Pushes Forward Downtown Columbia Plan

Columbia, MD — County Executive Allan Kittleman is taking steps to add more affordable housing in Columbia.

According to Kittleman, developer Howard Hughes—responsible for much of the construction in the plan to develop downtown Columbia—has not yet made good on its legal requirement to offer some of its residences to people who would not otherwise be able to afford them.

In fact, Kittleman said in a statement, there have been zero affordable housing residences made available by the developer in its new construction since the Downtown Columbia Plan was approved in 2010.

Kittleman announced this week that he has filed eight bills to compel Howard Hughes to make these affordable housing units available in its developments downtown.

Howard Hughes is building 5,500 residential units and was also to build 900 affordable units in downtown Columbia as part of the agreement approved in 2010.

The county executive said in a statement that the legislation he filed was the result of a consensus among local, state and federal housing and community officials.

See the legislation here.

Kittleman's bills will be up for discussion in July by the county council.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Janney.