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Howard County and Easton officials describe local tools: inclusionary programs, ADUs and intergovernmental constraints
Summary
Local governments described distinct strategies: Howard County cited a prescriptive inclusionary program and a Housing Opportunities Trust; Easton highlighted a $150,000 affordability gap and county controls that limit municipal zoning changes after annexation.
Local officials from Howard County and the town of Easton told the committee that jurisdictional differences require tailored solutions.
Kelly Simino, director of housing for Howard County, summarized HOCO by Design and the county’s moderate income housing unit (MIHU) programs. She said Howard County’s inclusionary zoning program has preserved rental and for‑sale units: about 850 households rent through the county’s rental program and roughly 600 owners benefit from the for‑sale program, which keeps units affordable in perpetuity. Simino described program maximums—80 percent AMI for for‑sale and 60 percent AMI for rental—as well as alternative compliance options that can extend affordability to lower AMI thresholds if paired with county investment.
Megan Cook, planner for the Town of Easton, described the constraints small towns face: Easton’s median home value (~$451,000) and area median income (~$100,000) create a $150,000 affordability gap for typical families. She warned that under state law an annexing municipality faces five‑year limits on changing land use density (and needs county waivers for some changes), and that county control of sewer and growth tiers can stall municipal plans that require higher densities to support affordable and workforce housing.
Officials asked the committee to consider state supports that increase municipal flexibility, improve town‑county collaboration on sewer and growth tiers, and provide pilot funding and technical assistance to implement local solutions such as accessory dwelling units, missing‑middle zoning, and developer incentives on municipal land.
Quotes and follow up
Kelly Simino said Howard County’s programs “are making a difference for our families” and highlighted a $302,000 average sale price under the for‑sale program compared with market prices near $600,000. Megan Cook asked the state to “keep in mind the constraints municipalities are working under” and requested stronger pathways for town‑county collaboration on housing projects.
The committee agreed to follow up with targeted briefings and offered to coordinate state technical assistance to municipalities exploring compact forms of development and incentive pilots.
