In a telegraphed punch, the Baltimore County Council Monday night unanimously voted against giving the developer of a controversial affordable housing project in Towson a $2 million loan.
Leading up to the vote, council members made it clear they were in no mood to float the loan to the non-profit Homes for America, the developer of Red Maple Place.
“No one on this council is against providing more affordable housing,” said Council Chairman Mike Ertel, a Democrat. “We know we have an issue.”
But Ertel, who represents the district in which Red Maple Place would be built, has opposed the project for being too expensive and for being in the wrong location.
“I just don’t see why we would continue to want to put more money into this project,” Ertel said.
The county approved a $2.1 million loan for Red Maple Place in 2019.
Councilman Julian Jones, a Democrat, said while he understands the need for more housing, the county’s budget is too tight.
Jones said, “It’s very difficult for me to be able to justify the vote for another $2 million, especially when we don’t know what’s going to happen from the administration in D.C.”
In a written statement following the vote, Dana Johnson, the president and CEO of Homes for America, said she was disappointed by the council’s decision.
Johnson said they will try to find the money elsewhere so Red Maple Place can still be built.
“This development will provide high-quality, affordable homes in downtown Towson, with excellent access to public transportation, jobs and high-performing schools,” Johnson said.
The council’s vote was a rebuke of Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s push for the loan.
In 2016, Baltimore County entered into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to settle complaints that the county had violated the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Under the agreement, Baltimore County is required to create 1,000 affordable housing units by March of 2028. The county is counting on 50 apartments in Red Maple Place to help it meet that goal. It currently has 908 approved units, including the ones in Red Maple.
In a statement Erica Palmisano, Klausmeier’s director of communications said, “While the county council was within its right to decline additional funding, the administration remains committed to satisfying this federal requirement.”
The controversy over Red Maple has played out since 2018.
The proposed location of the four-story apartment building adjoins East Towson, an historic Black community. Some of the residents are descendants of slaves who labored at Hampton Plantation.
They have opposed the project, saying it’s too big and will add to decades of development chipping away at their neighborhood.
Opponents also believe the development poses a flood risk. County officials dispute that. They say it will actually improve stormwater runoff.
In a letter to the county council, Housing Director Terry Hickey said Homes for America needs the money because years of legal challenges delayed the project. During that time interest rates went up, as did construction, engineering and insurance costs.
The letter started a seven-day clock. If the council had not objected, then Hickey could have provided the loan to Homes for America.
However, Councilman Ertel did object, setting up Monday night’s vote.
