Maryland Housing Department Launches New Community Engagement Tour in Frederick County

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has initiated a new series of county tours, with the first stop in Frederick County. According to a press release from the department, Secretary Jake Day met with local community leaders in Middletown and Emmitsburg to foster collaborative discussions on critical issues such as housing stability, homelessness solutions, community revitalization, and business development. This “Day Trips: Community Connections” series aims to build upon previous departmental efforts by facilitating more focused conversations with partners directly involved in these initiatives.

The tour included three distinct roundtable discussions. One session focused on enhancing coordination between DHCD leadership and local service providers to better identify homelessness, address service gaps, and align local strategies with the state’s housing stability objectives. Another discussion examined the obstacles to housing development in Frederick County and explored potential solutions. The third roundtable centered on Emmitsburg’s long-term housing and community development aspirations, including discussions involving Mount St. Mary’s University. During this Emmitsburg meeting, Secretary Day presented a $1 million grant check from the Seed Community Development Anchor Institution Fund to Mount St. Mary’s University. This funding was instrumental in transforming an underutilized wing of the Daughters of Charity’s St. Joseph House into the university’s School of Health Professions, which now houses a physician assistant program and a pediatric behavioral health center.

Department representatives also toured Middletown Main Street, a recognized Main Street program participant since 2008. Their itinerary included a visit to Memorial Hall, a building that had been vacant for decades before its rehabilitation into new apartments and retail spaces, supported by DHCD’s Community Legacy Program. The tour also included a stop at the town’s Welcome Center, which has benefited from the Department’s Community Investment Tax Credits Program. The initiative’s primary objective is to foster closer collaboration and understanding between state housing officials and local stakeholders, ensuring that state resources and strategies are effectively tailored to meet the unique needs of each community.

The “Day Trips: Community Connections” series represents a shift towards deeper engagement, moving beyond broad project tours to more targeted dialogues. This approach is designed to solicit direct input from those on the ground, enabling DHCD to refine its policies and programs for maximum impact. By directly engaging with community and civic partners, the department seeks to identify and overcome challenges in critical areas, ultimately aiming to create more stable and vibrant communities across Maryland. Residents can expect that the outcomes of these discussions will inform future state-level housing and community development initiatives, potentially leading to expanded services and targeted investments in areas facing particular challenges.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

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