The Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) updated the city’s Housing, Human Welfare Committee on Oct. 20 on a portfolio of redevelopment projects, financing awards and operational improvements that HACA said will support new affordable units and stabilize existing properties.

HACA Director Maddox Evans told the committee the authority recently won a 9% state low-income housing tax-credit award for the Robinwood neighborhood and plans to submit a 4% tax-credit application that would “twin” the site to add density. “Our goal was to add at least 50 or so new units, hopefully up to 70,” Maddox Evans said. The authority also received a $1.5 million state dedication to rebuild the Robinwood community center, she said.

The authority is pursuing parallel work at Bloomsbury Square and at two connected sites — Eastport Terrace and Harbor House — and has selected a development team for the Eastport/Harbor project. Maddox Evans identified the selected team as Genesis; a partner listed in the record as Manotnock; local architects with the Winsett Group; and local builders Hammel Builders. HACA is also pursuing HUD Choice Neighborhoods funding for the Eastport/Harbor work and said it held an initial resident meeting at Harbor House.

Timing and financing: Maddox Evans said HACA hopes to finalize financing and close on the Robinwood and Bloomsbury Square deals either by late next year or in 2027, with renovations and new construction anticipated to start in February 2027 once financing is in place. The authority described running multiple projects concurrently if financing and zoning allow.

Zoning and density: Committee members pressed HACA on how recent city zoning changes affect its plans. Maddox Evans said a recent change would allow an increase of roughly 35 units at Robinwood compared with prior limits; she also said the authority’s planning target for a whole-Robinwood buildout is near “226” units (as expressed in the meeting). HACA said it is designing projects to be viable under current zoning while seeking any necessary code changes through the city.

Operational improvements and use of grants: The director credited an earlier committee-sponsored grant for accelerating repairs and permitting activity across HACA properties. “So far we’ve expended $307,000,” she said of the $500,000 grant the city helped secure; she said HACA had an outstanding invoice with the city for about $393,000 and expected to invoice the remaining roughly $53,000 soon so the full grant would be utilized. The funding, she said, paid contractors and allowed HACA to hire management and construction oversight firms, scale repairs and bring units back online more quickly.

Licensing and occupancy: Maddox Evans reported occupancy at about 90% across public housing units and licensing rates that have improved substantially: she said Bloomsbury Square, Robinwood and Eastport Terrace are fully licensed; Harbor House is about 96% licensed. She said HACA is about 94% complete on public-housing recertifications for its Housing Choice Voucher program, has caught up on reviews prior to 2024 and is approximately 88% complete on 2025 recertifications. The authority has also pursued more successful rent-collection actions and had obtained more than 70 judgments so far, she said — a change HACA attributed to being able to license units and therefore pursue court filings when appropriate.

Workforce and contracting: Committee members asked about local hiring and prevailing-wage rules. Maddox Evans said HACA’s developer-selection process evaluates teams’ ability to hire locally and to incorporate apprenticeship opportunities; she also noted Davis-Bacon prevailing-wage requirements apply where federal funding triggers them. Council members and staff discussed using apprenticeship and training programs to prepare nearby residents for trades work so local hiring is meaningful, not just contractual language.

Environmental/contaminated-site questions: Committee members raised whether the authority could build on a nearby site that has remediation concerns (referred to in the meeting as the Spiro/Spy Road site). Maddox Evans said remediation studies and work — being pursued in coordination with the city and the resilience authority — are ongoing and that feasibility will depend on the results of those studies and any remediation costs.

Why it matters: If projects proceed as planned, HACA expects to add affordable units and increase mixed-income opportunities at existing sites, expand community facilities and aim for long-term portfolio sustainability through mixed-income models. Committee discussion also highlighted that zoning, remediation, prevailing-wage rules and workforce training will shape both the cost and community benefits of the work.

What committee members asked for next: Several aldermen asked HACA to continue updating the committee and to meet with staff and council members on wage and local-hiring questions. HACA asked the committee and city staff to refer potential partner organizations for services such as child care, health clinics and workforce training.

The presentation and committee discussion were informational; the committee took no formal redevelopment vote during the meeting.