Important Links
Stories
Here are a couple of stories about the activities of the Open Door Houisng Fund (formerly theUnitarian Universalist Affordable Housing Corporation): "There were six crack houses in one block; one was right next door to the house we were living in, with prostitutes coming in and out. That was Kermit Reynolds old neighborhood, before he and his wife, Hattie, moved into a renovated condominium in the District. UUAHC provided $100,000 to help MANNA ( a non-profit community development organization) rehab the vacant building, turning it into four attractive condominium units. With the help of a $121,500 UUAHC loan Building Futures: family AIDS Housing Foundation acquired a building site for Marigold Place, a 7-unit building in Northeast D.C. for families living with HIV/AIDS who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. LeShawn, a resident of Building Futures Sunflower House, says, I feel safe here. There is a strong sense of family among the residents. We help each other out.
Report on Housing Day Sponsored by the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition
By Lois Hybl, UUSJ representative from Towson UU Church Affordable housing advocates overflowed the East 1 Wing of the Miller House Office Building in Annapolis at Housing Day sponsored by the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition (MAHC). The Housing Day's 33 sponsors included diverse groups ranging from the Unitarian Universalist Affordable Housing Coalition to nonprofit developers to local housing authorities to the Maryland Association of Realtors. We were briefed on the desperate need for affordable housing in Maryland. For example, many first responders, teachers, and nurses are living in Pennsylvania or West Virginia because they can't afford to buy houses in Maryland. A study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition rated Maryland as the sixth least affordable state for rental housing in the entire country. We learned about the priorities for this General Assembly session, and then took our salmon-colored lists of priorities and house-shaped cookies to meetings with legislators. Please contact your legislators, especially if yours serve on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee or the House Appropriations Committee. Ask them to 1. Support the full $15.5 million in the Rental Housing Fund of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)--an increase of $2.5 million. 2. Expand the funding for the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust Fund by $3 million annually for three years, either through the Bond Bill and/or Supplemental Budget. 3. Not cut the governor's request for $8 million in capital funds for the Community Legacy Program (designed to provide flexible funding to invest in older neighborhoods). 4. Support SB126 (more flexibility in the Partnership Rental Housing Program) and SB127 (changes to the Maryland Housing Rehabilitation Program (MHRP). As of 2/14, these bills have passed the Senate and are assigned to the House Environmental Matters Committee. For more information on these housing issues, contact Trudy McFall at Homes for America 410-269-1222 or Trudy@homesforamerica.org
WANTED: UU's to Build Habitat for Humanity Montgomery County
From the UUSJ Affordable Housing Task Force Jane Hughes, the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity (HfH) of Montgomery County(MC) used to attend the UU Church of Rockville. The Chair of the HfH, MC Board is another UU, Jeff Hollingsworth of River Road. The Unitarian Universalist Affordable Housing Corporation is the lead lender for $1.4 million in construction financing for 24 new town homes in Burtonsville, Md. UUAHC has approved a loan of $400,000 and has partnered with Chevy Chase Bank to have it provide the additional $1 million. So, as you can see, some UU's are already building Habitat for Humanity. HfH seeks to build affordable housing for those in substandard housing, to provide a hand up rather than a handout and to help families realize the dream of home ownership. HfH invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with Montgomery County families in need. A donation of land in Burtonsville from the Artery Group, located off Route 29 and Green Castle Road, is opening the door to hope for 24 families. Twelve have been selected to help build 3-level town homes, back-to-back with 1377 square feet. They must donate 300 500 hours of sweat equity but get to buy with no interest. The purchase price is $140,000. This is the first time HfH-MC has embarked on a project that will be a community and it will take support. Construction will start in April and be completed by August 2008. HfH needs hundreds of volunteers to get this project built. It will double the HfH housing inventory in the county and they've been at it for 20 years. You don't have to actually go on the construction site to help. HfH operates a store, ReStore which will open soon on Gaither Road, just off Shady Grove Road. Their offices are at this location. They need office and store volunteers as well as builders. If you are interested, please call Terrie Barr at 301 279 9292.
Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County
WANTED: UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS For Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County 1. Habitat for Humanity (HfH) is a Christian organization. Why are UU's wanted? HfH and Unitarian Universalists share a belief in social justice and affordable housing. HfH seeks to build affordable housing for those in substandard housing, to provide a hand up rather than a handout - to help families realize the dream of home ownership. HfH invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with Montgomery County families in need. Executive Director, Jane Hughes attended the UU Church of Rockville in the past. Jeff Hollingsworth, the Chair of the Board is a member of the River Road Unitarian Church. The Unitarian Universalist Affordable Housing Corporation is the lead lender for $1.4 million in construction financing for 24 new town homes in Burtonsville, Md. UUAHC has approved a loan of $400,000 and partnered with Chevy Chase Bank to have it provide the $1,000,000. 2. What is the Habitat for Humanity program? HfH gets funding from foundations and government grants and private donations of time, materials and money. Houses are sold to partner families at no profit with no interest. Homeowners and volunteers build the homes together under trained supervision. 3. How are homeowners selected? Criteria include: ability to pay; willingness to partner and provide 300 500 hours of sweat equity; currently living in substandard housing in our county; recommended by the Family Selection committee and the Board. 4. What are the faith-based community partnership opportunities? · Construction: must be 16 years or older; for groups of 10 or more, HfH will bring the orientation to you. Needed: hundreds of skilled and unskilled volunteers . · Volunteer Committees including: Building on Faith, Construction, Development, Family Partnership, Family Selection, Finance, Habitat ReStore, Site Selection and the Volunteer Committee. · Habitat ReStore: accepts and sells new or used building materials, new or slightly used furniture, appliances and other household materials. Needed: sales associates, administrative support and cashiers. Call 301 947 3304 to donate materials or help. · Office volunteers are needed Monday through Friday to help with administrative tasks. 5. What is happening at the Burtonsville Project? A donation of land from the Artery Group, located off Route 29 and Green Castle Road is opening the door to hope for 24 families. Twelve families have been selected to help build 3-level town homes, back-to-back with 1377 square feet. The purchase price is $140,000. This is the first time HfH-MC has embarked on a project that will be a community and it will take support. Construction will start in April and the first 12 homes will be completed by August 2008 Go to http://www.habitat-mc.org and http://www.uuahc.org to learn more. Call Terrie Barr at 301 279 9292 for details
April 5 Meeting Set with Montgomery County Habitat for Humanity
The Housing Task Force have identified people in Mont.UU churches who are interested in organizing their members for volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. These people will attend a meeting with Jane Hughes, Executive Director of Habitat in Mont. County on April 5. Contact the UUSJ office for more information.
Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County Update
On April 5, representatives from 5 UU churches met with the staff of Habitat for Humanity (HfH) at their offices in Gaithersburg. Jane Hughes, Executive Director, briefed us on Linganore Woods, a 24 town home community in Burtonsville. We learned about the first12 families selected to work 300+ hours to build their 3-level, 3 bedroom homes in partnership with volunteers. They currently live in sub-standard housing and can't wait for construction to start in June. UUs are using the time until June to recruit construction crews of 6 8 volunteers to work on the construction site from 8:30 3 one day a month, for example. Volunteers need not have experience, just a willing attitude and be 16 and older. If you would like to volunteer, contact Terrie Barr at 301- 279-9292 or terriebarr@comcast.net. Those who are younger or not interested in construction can help by making sandwiches for the crew. We toured the ReStore. They accept donated new or like new appliances, building materials, furnishings, kitchen cabinets and fixtures and sell the items at deeply discounted prices to the public. The proceeds will build a house each year! Volunteers are needed NOW and will receive training, learn skills in basic home repairs and be part of a growing, dynamic new business! Store Day Managers: minimum full day commitment each day worked. Store Volunteers: minimum 3 hour commitment each day worked. Donation Pick-up Volunteer: minimum 4 hour commitment each day worked. HfH is in the process of developing a new youth program. The Habitat for Humanity Junior Volunteers! The goal of this program is to engage youth from all over the county in Habitat inspired projects. The Youth Council will target students age 10-15, and the major goals will be to: 1) increase awareness about Habitats work around the world, and specifically in our county, 2) educate the next generation of Habitat Volunteers on issues surrounding poverty housing, and 3) raise funds to support Habitats local building projects. HfH is planning for the next project and they need land! If you have any land in the county that you could donate or know of someone who does, please contact Jane Hughes at 301 990 0014. May 19 is the day of the first annual golf outing at Whiskey Creek Golf Club, Ijamsville, MD. Entry fee: $250 for an individual golfer; program ads $50 - $500. Visit the website http://habitat.montgomery.md.us/ to learn more and visit the Habitat ReStore located at 9100 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Habitat for Humanity Homes in Burtonsville, MD
On June 8, Habitat supporters from the faith community met at the Linganore Woods site in Burtonsville for a prayer breakfast. What a beautiful site it is and only 13 minutes up route 29 from 495. The land has been cleared and work on the first 12 town homes is planned to start in mid-July. Go to www.uusj.org and click on the affordable housing task force to get background information. Volunteers can pick from numerous opportunities including serving on many committees, working in the ReStore, building the $140,00 town homes or bringing lunch to the building site. Individual volunteers for construction are not being scheduled at this time but weekday opportunities will be plentiful. Sign up to receive the HfH volunteer e-newsletter which will keep you up-to-date on upcoming and ongoing volunteer opportunities as well as notify everyone when construction begins and the next step to get on the volunteer schedule. To sign up and to see all of the volunteer options, go to: http://www.habitat-mc.org/ and click on the sign up for volunteer news link. People who would like to work on a congregational construction crew should contact Terrie to volunteer. Saturdays fill up quickly and groups are limited to 25 volunteers on Saturdays. Consider a Sunday during the summer when many churches take a break from formal services. The workday is 8:30 3:30. HfH is looking for construction crew leaders who are trained and committed volunteers to guide and train novice volunteers. Crew leader trainings will be held the 3rd Tuesday of each month beginning at 6:45 at Habitat's offices at 9110 Gaither Rd. Gaithersburg. This is a good youth volunteer opportunity: 14, 16 and 18 are the ages that you can work in the ReStore with an adult; work on the site without power tools; and work on the site with power tools and earn service credits! Do you have any Legos to spare? HfH is asking congregations to hold a Lego drive. They need to collect 20,000 Legos for their Lego Blitz build in the fall. Would you like to put together a team to participate in the Lego Blitz build? The entry fee is not finalized, but it will be around $10/per person. This is an opportunity for youth ages 10 15 to learn about the project, to be educated on issues surrounding poverty housing and to raise funds to build affordable housing in their community.
PROVIDERS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH), 301-217-0314 1 Seneca Heights Apartments, Gaithersburg Transitional housing for 40 single men and 17 families 2 Partnership for permanent housing In cooperation with other groups provides apartments for 50 families 3 Administers federal grant for HOPE Housing, providing affordable housing for 10 families 4 Coalition Homes, a new spin-off from MCCH, has recently bought 6 rental units near the White Flint Metro Community Ministry of Montgomery County (CMMC), 301-315-1090 1 Horizon House (Hope Housing) Manages five homes for 25 adults with disabilities 2 Manages Interfaith Housing Coalition (formerly Bethesda Cares), which buys houses and rents at affordable rates 3 Manages Welcome Homes: two houses 4 Manages ten apartment units and 12 houses Community Ministries of Rockville (CMR), 301-762-8682 1 Manages three houses for HOPE Housing 2 Manages Jefferson House for five men Stepping Stones Shelter, 301-251-0567 Manages two houses for families with 2-4 children, for HOPE Housing Housing Unlimited, 301-230-2825 Has bought 22 houses and rented at affordable rates to 76 mentally ill tenants Montgomery Housing Partnership, 301-946-0882 1 Has developed and now manages four multi-family buildings totaling 348 rental units 2 Has bought, renovated, and sold single-family distressed homes and bought and renovated distressed small apartment buildings 3 Offers education- and human-service-programs to tenants Housing Opportunities Commission, 301-929-6700 1 Quasi-government organization that owns or manages 644 affordable rental properties in Montgomery County 2 Manages scattered site program for affordable rentals throughout the County Washington Catholic Archdiocese (Victory Housing, Managed by Habitat America) 1 Victory Terrace, Potomac, 301-983-9600, provides 58 rental housing units for senior citizens at affordable rates. 2 Willow Manor, Silver Spring, 301-588-1055 3 Willow Manor, Olney, 301-588-1055 4 Charter House, Silver Spring, 301-495-1600 Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (MCDHCA), 240-777-3600 Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDU) rental program manages about 850 rental units for those with less than 65% of the area median income City of Gaithersburg, 301-258-6399 Permanent support for four men who have been through the Wells/Robertson House program City of Rockville 1 Rockville Housing Enterprise (RHE), 301-424-6265, manages 141 town homes in two communities 2 MPDU Program, 240-314-8200, manages rental units in King Farm, Falls Grove, Congressional, and other large developments within the City of Rockville Shepherds Table/Silver Spring Interfaith Housing Coalition, 301-585-6459 Houses six formerly homeless men Compiled by Charlie Eisenhauer, UU Church of Rockville 2006 *For more detailed information, see Montgomery County Housing Desk Guide, Revised April, 2004. Call 240-777-1342.