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County staff warns HUD competition priorities could shrink local permanent supportive housing funding
Summary
Carroll County staff told commissioners that new HUD Continuum of Care priorities and national competitiveness will likely reduce local permanent supportive housing slots funded by the CoC award, urging local mitigation and partner outreach.
County continuum of care (CoC) staff briefed commissioners on Dec. 4 about major changes in the HUD national NOFO that could reduce funding for permanent supportive housing (PSH) in Carroll County.
Celine Steckel, director of citizen services, informed the board that last year’s CoC award was roughly $641,797 and that Carroll currently funds 31 households (53 individuals: 40 adults and 13 children) in PSH units. Steckel said the new NOFO caps PSH funding at 30% of total awards — a change that locally could reduce PSH‑funded households from 31 to about 12. She cited comments from Maryland Department of Housing leadership that the shift would reduce PSH statewide by $46 million and could place about 4,300 Marylanders at risk of losing housing, remarks she attributed to the state housing secretary.
Staff outlined local strategies: move‑on vouchers through the Housing Choice Voucher program, close coordination with HSP to identify eligible households, and targeted case management. Staff also warned of new match requirements (25% local contribution on housing projects), greater national competitiveness (up to 70% of an award scored nationally) and a compressed application timeline that leaves limited time to compile applications.
Commissioners pressed staff about the fate of currently housed households and eligibility constraints (for example, documented disability requirements for PSH and five‑year re‑eligibility rules for housing choice vouchers following terminations). Staff emphasized outreach with nonprofit providers and ranked application processes that will still be subject to final federal rankings.
Next steps: staff will continue provider outreach, assess which households are eligible for move‑on vouchers, evaluate potential new projects that fit the revised scoring rubric and return to the board with recommended project submissions for the county’s CoC application.
