The Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee voted 3–0 on Nov. 6 to forward a favorable recommendation for the appointment of Jonathan R. Butler as director of the Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development.

Butler appeared before the committee after the county executive’s office presented his credentials. Danielle Hunter of the county executive’s office described Butler’s two decades of regional public-sector leadership, citing prior roles in Prince George’s County Office of Central Services and senior executive positions in the District of Columbia. Hunter told the committee Butler had overseen large operations, including ‘‘over 1,000,000,000 in operational operations, including 5,000,000 square feet of facility space and nearly 5,000 acres of real estate’’ and had led agencies through operational improvements.

Butler told the committee his priorities include creating and preserving affordable rental housing, expanding home‑buyer assistance, stabilizing and rehabilitating existing properties, and improving agency operations. He said the department is ‘‘enabling and moving 10 affordable housing projects in the pipeline valued at over a half a billion dollars that will create and preserve over 1,500 affordable units’’ and that formal letters of intent have been issued for another 14 projects that could produce or preserve ‘‘an additional 2,000 plus affordable units.’’ Butler also said the agency will prioritize digitizing processes and benchmarking software to improve efficiency.

During questions, committee members asked about community housing trusts, the county’s right‑of‑first‑refusal program, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) initiatives and how to encourage ground‑floor retail in mixed‑use projects. Butler said he supported housing trust models, described the complexity of housing finance and said DHCD would include criteria such as incorporation of ground‑floor retail in solicitations for funding when appropriate. He also said the department is ‘‘a small staff, but mighty staff’’ and noted that more resources may be needed as new programs use major funds such as the Housing Investment Trust Fund.

A motion to forward a favorable recommendation was moved and seconded and carried on a roll call vote recorded as Chair DeNoga, Council member Adam Stafford and Council member Olson voting aye.

If confirmed by the full Council, Butler will lead DHCD’s programs to expand housing production and preservation in Prince George’s County.