Community Development Network of Maryland

 

April 11, 2017
CDN Members and Friends:
  
The Maryland General Assembly session ended yesterday. It was a great session for community development! Stay tuned for photos from the bill signings! 

This email outlines CDN's legislative priorities and other community development legislation that passed the General Assembly. It also includes details on the budget.

If you click on the bill number, the link will take you to the Maryland General Assembly website where you can find more information about the legislation.

Thanks to all of you who called your delegates and senators throughout the session!

 
Task Force to study and reform Tax Sale in Maryland passes.
                   
SB823 / HB659 Creates a task force to study Tax Sale in Maryland. The tax sale process is predatory and does not help get vacant properties to productive use in an effective way. While the Center for Community Process has recommended a new system for tax sale in Maryland, a task force will enable all jurisdictions to come together in agreement with the new system. This legislation passed with amendments to include water bills, which was implied with the original legislation but is now specific. Other amendments include adding more parties to the bill. This task force is to have a final report to the General Assembly with draft legislation by the end of 2017. CDN has 2 seats on this task force and will spend significant time on this work.
 
Legislation addressing vacant, blighted and abandoned properties passes easily in the General Assembly
 
The following legislation was crafted in partnership with the Maryland Municipal League, Maryland Association of Counties, and the Maryland Bankers Association. We make a great team!

SB957 / HB1168 Enables counties and municipalities to create Land Banks as a tool for eliminating blight in their communities. This bill passed with some amendments which address tax sales and their relationship with land banks (until comprehensive tax sale reform occurs). CDN will be conducting trainings with partners to help local governments implement this important tool.

SB875 / HB1048 Changes the Foreclosed Property Registry to have information entered by the banks earlier in the foreclosure process (the Order to Docket stage) so local governments are able to see who is responsible for a blighted foreclosed property. This bill also passed with one amendment to enact the legislation in 2018.

SB1033 / HB702 Creates a specific definition of vacant, blighted, abandoned property to be used to expedite a foreclosure only if the property meets the specific criteria. This bill passed with several amendments to ensure notice to the property owner and tighten up the criteria.

HB954 Requires that DLLR send a notice to the local government if there is an update on an entry in the Foreclosed Property Registry. We ran out of time to pass this bill. It was down to the wire but did not make it. We'll do it next year!

CDN's Housing Counseling related legislation received with mixed results.

HB26/ SB247 requires banks send a notice if a foreclosure sale is postponed or cancelled. This legislation has passed with no amendments.

HB106 CDN asked the Administration to sponsor this legislation to make changes to the homebuyer education requirements for clients who want to use the Maryland Mortgage Program. Amendments include specific wording to allow for online homebuyer education, portability of the certificate, and requiring clients to take homebuyer education before they sign a contract of sale. This bill passed the House, and was stalled in the Senate. CDN will do this legislation in 2018.

HB1515/ SB936 strengthens the foreclosure mediation process by adding more transparency, ensuring the secured party is prepared with real options for the homeowner, and strengthening the roll of the ALJ to hold the secured party accountable. There was no action taken on this legislation.

HB200/ SB588 adds funds to the Maryland Housing Counseling Fund by increasing the filing fee banks pay per foreclosure from $300-$500. This bill failed in the House and Senate.

The HOME Act passes in the House, fails in the Senate.

HB172 / SB728 makes it illegal to discriminate based on source of income. This is important legislation to help de-concentrate poverty and allow families to move to areas of opportunity to improve their quality of life.  Maryland is one of several states where it is legal to deny rental housing to anyone with housing choice vouchers, SSI and other forms of income. The HOME Act would have changed that.

The House of Delegates passed this legislation with a veto proof majority with several amendments. The legislation received no vote in the Senate and therefore is not in effect. We're unsure of the next steps for this legislation but will keep everyone posted.
CDN's Community Development Fund fails
                   
HB1514/ SB812 establishes the Community Development Fund. Although SB 812 moved without the funding source late in the session, it did not come out of the House Rules Committee.

HB690 increasing the Community Investment Tax Credits did not get any action during the session.
Budget Success!

Thanks to all of your calls and emails, CDN's funding priorities received increased or level funding in the budget. Here is the final report:


FUND
Governor's Allocation
Final Action
Notes
Community Legacy
$6 million (level funding)
 $6 million capital
The House and Senate initially cut CL by $1million. Thanks to your calls and emails CL was restored to previous year's level.

SEED Anchor Institution funding

$0
$0
 
Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative
 
$3 million capital,
$750,000 operating
$8 million capital
$750,000 general operating
Legislation in 2016 session mandated $12 million for BRNI. The Governor removed it and left it at $3million, and the House and Senate increased the funding in the capital budget.
 
Rental Housing Works
$10 million
$20 million capital
In 2016, there was budget language added by the House that the General Assembly intends for this to be fully funded each year.
 
Shelter and Transitional Facilities Grant program

$3 million capital
$3 million capital
Partnership Rental Housing
 
$6 million capital
$6million capital
 
Strategic Demolition and Smart Growth Investment Fund
 
$25.625 million ($22.125 million for City, $3.5 million for rest of state).
 
Same
 
Rural Maryland Prosperity Fund
$4 million operating
$3.66 million operating
There was an initial cut of $1 million but most of that was restored in conference committee.
 
Neighborhood Business Works
 
$5 million
$3.1 million in capital, $1.9 million in special funds
 
 
Nonprofit Assistance Fund
 
$700,000 special funds
$700,000 special funds
Special funds are dollars that DHCD earns from is lending portfolio and other income.
 



 

Do you like what we do during the General Assembly?  Do you think CDN represents your interests in the session?  BECOME A CDN MEMBER to support this important work.
                   
Membership dues support CDN's work around the state and in particular the work in the General Assembly. Benefits include discounts and scholarships for trainings, technical assistance, and your representation in the General Assembly. Click here to become a member or renew your membership.
As always, please let me know if you have questions or thoughts on any of the items in this e-newsletter.  We want to hear from you!  
  
Thanks!


  

Odette Ramos
Executive Director
Community Development Network of Maryland
  
Community Development Week 

SAVE THE DATE!
(NEW DATES!)

September 20-28


Featuring the Maryland Housing Conference, Counselor Connections, events around the state, and CDN's Annual Meeting
   
Details coming soon!

CDN would like to thank the members of the General Assembly for your tireless support of community development. Specifically, we'd like to thank our legislative sponsors and champions this year (click on their names for their profile):

 

Chairwoman Maggie McIntosh (Chair, House Appropriations)

 

Speaker Pro-Tem Adrienne Jones

 

Chairman Kumar Barve (Chair, House Environment & Transportation)

 

Chairwoman Joan Carter Conway (Chair, Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs)

 

Subcommittee Chair Marvin Holmes

 

Vice-Chair Richard Madaleno (Vice-Chair, Senate Budget & Taxation)

 

Senator Adelaide Eckardt

 

Senator Delores Kelley

 

Senator Will Smith

 

Delegate Stephen Lafferty

 

Delegate Bonnie Cullison

 

Delegate Angela Angel

 

A HUGE THANK YOU!

 

CDN supported the following legislation (per requests from legislators and advocates)

 

SB884/HB1134 creates a commission to study the impact that the repeal of the federal Dodd-Frank law would have in Maryland. Dodd-Frank set up the Consumer Protection Finance Bureau (CFPB) which regulates the lending and banking industry. This legislation has passed with some amendments adding more parties to the task force. 

 

HB134 moves the homeless services divisions from the Department of Human Resources to the Department of Housing and Community Development. This bill passed.

 

HB1441 adds funding to the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust Fund by transferring any unused dollars from the Homeowner's Tax Credit. There was no action on this legislation.

 

HB1354 creates the National Capital Strategic Economic Development Fund which would provide funding for development activities in the National Capital region. There is no funding in this legislation. This bill passed.

 

HB520 Creates a registry for property managers statewide. CDN supports this legislation with amendments that include current county data bases sharing with the statewide, specific application requirements, etc. This is the precurser to property management licensing. This bill failed.

 

HB689/SB813 expands the timeframe for participants to take advantage of the Rental Assistance Program which is an emergency allotment to help families and individuals get out of short-term homelessness. Currently participants can only receive the subsidy for 1 year. The legislation as amended would provide the subsidy up to 2 years. This bill failed.

 

HB269/HB531 The amended bill codifies the Housing Navigator program at the Department of Human Resources and adds funds to that program. This bill passed.

 

SB465 creates the Nonprofit Interest-free Micro Bridge Loan program to help nonprofits waiting for contract payments from government sources. This bill passed.

 

HB789 changes the definition of "good standing" for common ownership communities to vote on bylaws and governing documents, and changes the quorum number to 60% This bill passed.

 

About CDN 

 

The Community Development Network of Maryland's purpose is to promote, strengthen and advocate for Maryland's community development industry which serves urban, rural and suburban communities across the state.


 

CDN is a statewide member organization made up of over 180 member organizations across the state. CDN represents the critically important nonprofit, small developer and community based organization members of the industry. 


 

Find out more on our website here.