County Officials Focused on Housing Assistance, Quality of Life Issues

By Hamil R. Harris, Special to the AFRO

At a time when the news is dominated by President Trump’s effort to turn back the civil rights clock and U.S Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Ben Carson  has proposed tripling the cost of low income housing programs that have helped the poor for decades, Prince George’s County officials are spreading the word that help is available.

The Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development and the Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County have launched a second new homebuyer assistance program in which thousands are being made available for participants who qualify.

The Prince George’s County Purchase Assistance Program offers qualified first-time home buyers up to $15,000 to be used for down payment and closing costs toward the purchase of their new home. This is a zero percent interest, deferred payment loan that the purchaser must pay back in full when the home is sold, transferred or ceases to be the primary residence of the buyer(s), regardless of the length of residency.

“We are very happy to be able to offer a second purchase assistance program for first time homebuyers or for those potential home buyers who have not owned a home in the last three years,” said Eric C. Brown, director of the Prince George’s Department of Housing and Community Development.

Brown said the county is offering is adding an additional $5,000 to police officers, sheriff’s deputies, teachers, nurses, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who participate in this program.

In order to qualify for the program potential homebuyers must work with a certified participating lender, have an executed sales contract and attend an “in-classroom” eight-hour counseling course offered by a HUD certified housing counseling agency. Eligible properties include: re-sales, foreclosures, short sales and new construction. The purchase price limit is $462,000 for both resale and new construction.

In April, Carson proposed that residents living in subsidized housing would have to pay 35 percent of their gross income and would have to work 15 hours a week. This is up from the previous requirement and would affect an estimated 4.7 million families receiving federal housing assistance, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

For additional information on the county program, visit the Prince George’s County Purchase Assistance Program website: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/2965/Purchase-Assistance-Program.

The county also has homebuyer assistance program through the Pathway to Purchase program. For details and qualifications for the Pathway to Purchase Program, visit: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/2598/Pathway-to-Purchase or call (301) 883-5456.

In addition to housing, The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) approved more than $1.2 million in funding for four bicycle and pedestrian projects in Maryland through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). This program provides funding to transportation projects other than highway construction for things like bike and pedestrian trails.

In a recent tweet, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker wrote, “Since we launched Capital Bikeshare in May, more residents and communities have been wanting it. Hopefully, we can expand it as quickly as we can throughout the County.”