WHEREAS, In April of 2019, Prince George's County Council established the Housing Opportunities for All Workgroup (Workgroup) adopted through CR-16-2019 to assist with implementation of the Housing Opportunity for All initiative. The Workgroup helped set priorities; provided advice on proposed legislation related to housing; and recommended possible changes to policies, programs, procedures, or resources related to housing; and
WHEREAS, Housing Opportunity for All, Prince George's County's comprehensive housing strategy (CHS), represents the County's 10-year plan to serve the housing needs of all county residents, both current and future, while expanding access to opportunity through housing investments. Implementing Housing Opportunity for All will help further establish the county as a community of choice in the Washington, DC metropolitan region—a place where families and individuals can live, grow, and thrive. Housing Opportunity for All was designed to achieve three primary goals:
Support existing residents, which includes long-time residents, seniors, residents with disabilities, and residents at-risk of displacement, and
Attract new residents, including millennials & families, employers, and developers, and
Build on strategic investments & submarket conditions, including transit-oriented development areas like the Purple Line Corridor, areas around strategic assets & major public investments, and areas designated as federal Opportunity Zones; and
WHEREAS, the Workgroup's term was extended, pursuant to CR-21-2021, to continue conducting discussions around the housing targets and housing-related tools and members identified a need for Prince George's County to establish two housing bodies with distinct functions — one advising on housing policy and another related to landlord-tenant issues;
WHEREAS, as the Workgroup concluded its three-year effort, Workgroup members agreed that their work needed to continue and that the new objectives should include providing future information for the County Council and the public of the recommendations around what boards or commissions should be formed after the work sunsets. To that end, the Workgroup reviewed several existing boards and commissions across the region and concluded, inter alia, that the County Council should establish a Housing Policy & Implementation Advisory Board for Prince George's County (Board).
NOW THEREFORE BE IT ENACTED, That the Laws of Prince Georges County, Maryland shall read as follows:
The purpose of the Board is to monitor implementation of core housing recommendations and progress toward meeting their outcomes;
It will provide advice on housing policy and implementation of housing and development tools;
It will advocate for new or modified housing & development tools to aid in implementation;
It will educate residents about housing needs affecting residents and actions to address them; and
It will strive to provide equal access to high quality residences for all citizens of Prince Georges County regardless of race, gender, address, disability status, socioeconomic status, or language spoken.
The Board is an independent unit of County government.
The Board has the following authority:
Provide advice on housing policy;
Provide guidance on the implementation of housing and development tools;
Review and report on data related to housing needs affecting Prince George's County residents;
Review data related to the implementation of housing recommendations;
Review and assess implementation progress of housing recommendations;
Monitor progress toward achieving the County's housing goals and recommend adjustments, as needed;
Recommend new or modified housing and development tools as needs or goals change; and
Educate residents about housing needs affecting residents and actions needed to address them;
Issue an annual report to Prince George's County Council on implementation progress and state of housing in the county; and
Serve as a liaison to Prince George's County Planning Board on housing-related matters.
The Board shall be made up of representatives from a variety of sectors and perspectives, and shall reflect to the extent practicable, the geographic, racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity of Prince George's County, and shall include: housing representatives from the public, private & nonprofit sectors; residents that have experienced housing instability; housing law advocates; and residents reflecting the various geographic areas from across Prince George's County.
All members selected to serve on the Board shall be residents of or employed in Prince George's County.
The Housing Policy and Implementation Advisory Board (Board) shall consist of thirteen (13) voting members, and shall include the following:
The Director of Department of Housing and Community Development or its designee. This person shall serve as Chair of the Board;
A representative or designee nominated and selected by the County Council. This person shall serve as the Vice Chair of the Board;
Five housing and developer industry representatives with expertise in housing policy, one of which shall possess experience in developing affordable housing;
Six representatives with expertise in housing policy which will include representatives from the senior population, faith-based industry, housing advocacy affiliates, disability advocates; non-profit developers, immigrant and diverse cultural advocates, municipal governments, and non-profit legal service communities;
Agency representatives from the Department of Social Services, Department of Planning, and Department of Housing Authority shall participate as non-voting members of the Board.
The County Executive shall nominate members to the Board and the County Council shall confirm the appointment of all nominees.
A member of the Board:
May not receive compensation as a member of the Board; but
Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the standard travel regulations for duties performed under this subtitle.
Board Members shall serve no more than two (2) year terms.
Each member's term of appointment shall be staggered as follows:
The terms of four initial members shall terminate on October 1, 2024;
The terms of another group of four initial members shall terminate on October 1, 2025;
The terms of the other group of five members shall terminate on October 1, 2026.
Board Vacancies shall be filled by appointment and confirmation by the County Council for the remainder of an unexpired term of the departing member of the Board.
The County Executive may remove any member who has had more than three (3) unexcused absences in one calendar year, upon the written notification and recommendation of the Chairperson of the Board. The Board Member shall be replaced by appointment by the County Council. The Board Chair shall provide documentation of the Board member's unexcused absences.
The members of the Board and Chair, Sub Committee Chairs and any staff are subject to the Maryland Public Ethics Laws and Prince George's County Public Ethics Laws.
The Board is anticipated to meet four to six times a year.
All meetings shall be made available to the public through live video streaming.
The Board shall make publicly available on the Internet a complete, unedited archived video recording of each open meeting for a minimum of 5 years after the date of the meeting.
All meetings shall be advertised via social media and the Prince George's County website.
Any subcommittee(s) created by the Board:
shall hold meetings at advertised times between scheduled Board meetings; and
shall advertise meetings in the same manner that the Board's meetings are advertised.
The Board may adopt bylaws for the conduct of its business.
The Board is subject to the Public Information Act.
The Board is subject to the Open Meetings Act.
The Board shall provide a briefing for the County Executive and the County Council annually on or before June 30th.
At least once annually, the Board should hold a public meeting to share its work progress and to hear from county residents on their housing instability experiences, any other housing related issues and the community's priorities on housing policy.
This annual public meeting shall be held after the publication and advertising of the annual report.