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DHCD highlights home‑repair and homeownership programs; council seeks clearer targets and faster delivery
Summary
DHCD described home rehabilitation, lead hazard, down‑payment assistance and emergency homeowner aid programs in the FY26 budget; council members asked for program targets, income thresholds (80% AMI), MHAP carryover details and faster processing of repair work.
DHCD officials described several FY26 budget items aimed at homeownership, rehabilitation and stabilization at the May 30 hearing and answered council questions about eligibility and program year‑to‑date activity.
Program highlights in testimony: the city’s homeownership incentives and down‑payment/closing cost assistance programs (promote homeownership/buy into Bmore/live‑near‑work), housing rehabilitation services that include a lead hazard reduction local match for HUD grants, and the Light Intake & Assessment unit that collects applications and routes cases to the appropriate repair or rehab program. Deputy Commissioner Nicole Hart said the department has realigned staff in the intake unit to move senior and older adult cases faster and that a construction manager position was moved to speed housing rehabilitation projects.
Emergency Mortgage and Homeowner Assistance (MHAP): DHCD said it relaunched MHAP with $2,000,000 in April to address arrears. Staff expect some of the funds to carry into FY26; the FY26 allocation in the hearing was listed at $500,000 but DHCD said that figure may be revised once carryover is finalized after June 30. DHCD committed to provide carryover and exact budget accounting early in the fiscal year.
Income eligibility: DHCD said it defines low‑ and moderate‑income households as those at or below 80% area median income (AMI) and provided example income limits cited at the hearing: one‑person household $62,600; two‑person $71,500; up to $118,050 for an eight‑person household. The department said the FY26 target to serve low/moderate‑income homebuyers in certain programs is 60% of activity but council members asked DHCD to consider raising the target given prior actuals (DHCD reported 93% in FY24 for some programs).
Discussion vs. direction vs. decision: Council members sought metrics and asked DHCD to report carryover MHAP funds and program performance data (discussion). DHCD committed to provide those figures and to re‑evaluate service targets ahead of FY27 (direction). No vote taken (decision: no formal vote).
Ending: Council members pressed for higher targets and for clear accounting of MHAP carryover and Light Intake throughput; DHCD said it would follow up with district offices and the committee.
