Howard County Housing and Community Development

What Howard County Housing and Community Development does

Howard County Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is a county government department under Howard County, Maryland, established to administer affordable housing and community development programs for low- and moderate-income residents. Its core product portfolio comprises homeownership assistance (Moderate Income Housing Unit program, Settlement Downpayment Loan Program, Foreclosure Prevention, OWN initiative launched April 2024), housing rehabilitation loans, affordable rental referrals, homeless services coordination via the Coordinated System of Homeless Services and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program Local Board, and the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund. Since 2019, the department has provided more than $10.7M in downpayment assistance to 300+ households and, since FY2023, has preserved, created, or added more than 800 mixed-income homes to the development pipeline.

DHCD operates as a non-revenue-generating government service provider; all programs are delivered free of charge to eligible residents and funded through Howard County's general fund appropriations (more than $10M in FY27 alone for housing programs), federal pass-throughs such as EFSP, and capital budget transfers (including $2M in FY27 for the county's first Non-Congregate Shelter). Technology is limited to standard government administrative systems, with the most notable adjacent capability being a $2M FY27 county-wide investment in an AI permitting platform housed in the Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits rather than within DHCD itself. Distribution is through direct government service delivery: residents access programs at the Opportunity and Economic Mobility Center (OEMC) at 9755 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia — a facility opened June 2026 that co-locates DHCD with the Office of Workforce Development, Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland State Department of Education, and a planned childcare center — or via referral partners including the Community Action Council of Howard County, Grassroots Crisis Intervention, SECU, and the Howard County Economic Development Authority.

Name

Howard County Housing and Community Development

Legal name

Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development

Website

https://howardcountymd.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Howard County Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is a Maryland county government department that administers affordable housing programs — downpayment assistance, home repair loans, foreclosure prevention, MIHU, homeless services, and the OWN initiative — for low- and moderate-income Howard County residents, funded by county appropriations and federal grants and delivered through the Opportunity and Economic Mobility Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Housing Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Housing & Social Housing Development/Modernization Programs (FSALAKAH), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Down Payment Assistance (DPA) & Homebuyer Subsidy Programs (FSALAKAE)

Keywords

• Public housing programs
• Affordable housing assistance
• Homeownership downpayment loans
• Homeless services coordination
• Community development grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. County General Fund Appropriations: DHCD is funded through Howard County Government's operating budget appropriations. The FY27 Operating Budget includes more than $10 million to support homeownership initiatives, housing rehabilitation, affordable housing, and homelessness prevention programs, including $2.1 million for homeownership programs, $2 million for the Right of First Refusal program, $1 million for creation and preservation of mixed-income rental community units, $1 million for home rehabilitation programs for low-income households, $1 million for rental assistance to HCPSS and HCC student households, and $1.5 million to support homeless services.
2. Federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) Funding: DHCD participates in the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), a federal program established in 1983 that has distributed over $5.03 billion to human service agencies across the country. Howard County's Local Board allocates funds to Local Recipient Organizations (LROs) that provide emergency food and shelter services. Funding phases (Phase 37-41, ARPA-R) have been distributed through this mechanism.
3. Capital Budget Funding for Housing Development: DHCD receives capital budget funding for housing construction and preservation. The FY27 Capital Budget transfers $2 million from DHCD's Community Renewal Fund for construction of Howard County's first-ever Non-Congregate Shelter along the Route One Corridor in North Laurel. Additional capital funding supports the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund ($1 million one-time) and various affordable housing projects.
4. Stewart B. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Funding: The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) was reauthorized under P.L. 100-628, signed November 7, 1988. Since 1983, EFSP has distributed $5.03 billion to over 14,000 human service agencies in more than 2,500 communities. Howard County's EFSP Local Board oversees allocation of these funds to qualifying local recipient organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers a portfolio of county-funded housing assistance programs for low-to-moderate income Howard County residents. Core offerings include the Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) homeownership and rental program, Settlement Downpayment Loan Program, Homeowner Housing Repair Loans, Foreclosure Prevention Program, the Opportunities for Wealth-Building Now (OWN) initiative, the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund, Homebuyer Education, the Coordinated System of Homeless Services, and administration of the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program Local Board.

Product overview

Howard County Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is a government department offering a portfolio of housing assistance programs. The department operates as a unified service delivery model providing homeownership programs (Moderate Income Housing Unit, Settlement Downpayment Loan Program, OWN Initiatives), housing rehabilitation services (Homeowner Housing Repair Loan Program), homelessness prevention and response (Homeless Services/CSHS, Emergency Food and Shelter Program), and financial empowerment resources (Foreclosure Prevention, Housing Opportunities Trust Fund). These programs are designed to work together to support residents at various stages of housing stability, from first-time homeownership through crisis intervention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OWN (Opportunities for Wealth-Building Now): Transformative homeownership program launched April 3, 2024, expanding access to low-interest financing for downpayment assistance, improving home renovation loan criteria and investing in homeownership programs.

Products and services

• Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $10.7 million in downpayment assistance provided to 300+ households since 2019
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Maryland Department of LaborcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026The Maryland Department of Labor is co-located at the Opportunity and Economic Mobility Center (OEMC) at 9755 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia alongside DHCD, OWD, and the Maryland State Department of Education. This co-location enables integrated service delivery, with state and local services delivered in one accessible location to help individuals and families access employment, housing, and supportive services in one place.
• Maryland State Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026The Maryland State Department of Education is co-located at the Opportunity and Economic Mobility Center (OEMC) alongside DHCD, OWD, and the Maryland Department of Labor. This co-location supports the delivery of education-related services integrated with housing and workforce resources at a single site.
• Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) National Board (FEMA, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, Jewish Federations of North America, National Council of Churches of Christ, Salvation Army, United Way Worldwide)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 1983The EFSP National Board, chaired by FEMA, consists of representatives from major humanitarian organizations. The program was established on March 24, 1983, through the Jobs Stimulus Bill (Public Law 98-8) and reauthorized under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Howard County's EFSP Local Board determines highest community need and allocates funds to Local Recipient Organizations (LROs) that provide emergency food and shelter services. In its 38+ year history, EFSP has distributed over $5.03 billion to more than 14,000 human service agencies in over 2,500 communities.
• Grassroots Crisis InterventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots Crisis Intervention operates a 24/7 crisis hotline (410-531-6677) serving Howard County residents experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing housing. The hotline is the designated contact point for individuals needing emergency shelter or homeless services referrals. Howard County FY27 budget includes $200,000 to bolster Grassroots Crisis Intervention's 24/7 Mobile Crisis Team for mental health and psychiatric emergencies.
• Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAC serves as Howard County's designated nonprofit anti-poverty organization and key delivery partner for DHCD programs. CAC delivers early childhood education (Head Start, Pre-K), food assistance (Howard County Food Bank), housing assistance, energy assistance, and weatherization services. CAC partners with DHCD on the Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program, managing participant recruitment, eligibility review, monthly payments, financial literacy programming, and data collection. CAC has served Howard County for over 60 years.
• SECU (Nonprofit Financial Institution)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECU, a nonprofit financial institution, partners with CAC and DHCD on the GBI Phase Two pilot program. SECU provides savings accounts for GBI participants, who receive $500 per month directly and an additional $500 per month deposited into a savings account at SECU. This partnership helps participants build emergency savings and soften the benefits 'cliff' at program end.
• Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCEDA receives $1.1 million in one-time funding from the FY27 budget to support business and expansion programs including the Gateway Innovation Fund ($300,000), Activation for Community Transformation Loan Fund ($250,000), Main Street Revitalization Program ($250,000), restaurant park incentives ($200,000), innovation bootcamp scholarships ($100,000), and export capability grants ($20,000). HCEDA operates the Maryland Innovation Center business incubator and accelerator.
• Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation (CDHC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDHC is a nonprofit housing organization affiliated with DHCD that works on downtown Columbia housing initiatives. The CDHC Board meets monthly and is part of Howard County's housing ecosystem, advancing affordable and mixed-income housing development in the Columbia area.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs: Neighboring Maryland county housing department administering MPDU (Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit), rental assistance, and homeownership programs for low- and moderate-income residents. Closest comparable to DHCD given similar Maryland jurisdiction, similar program portfolio, and similar regulatory framework.
• Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development: Another Maryland county housing department serving a diverse suburban jurisdiction with homeownership counseling, foreclosure prevention, and affordable rental programs. Comparable mission and program mix to DHCD.
• Baltimore County Department of Planning: Maryland county-level housing and community development functions including affordable housing preservation, housing grants administration, and community development block grants. Peer in scale, scope, and Maryland regulatory environment.
• Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development: Virginia county housing authority comparable in affluence and program breadth, operating homeownership programs, rental subsidies (Housing Choice Voucher), and senior/affordable housing development analogous to DHCD's MIHU and HOME programs.
• Anne Arundel County Department of Housing and Community Development: Maryland county housing department operating homeownership loan programs (HAPP), rental assistance, and community development initiatives in a comparable suburban-jurisdiction context.

Broad incumbents

• Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD): The state-level DHCD in Maryland that provides financing for affordable housing, rental assistance, and community development programs statewide. State-level umbrella entity that complements and partially overlaps with the Howard County DHCD.

Direct peers

• Housing Authority of Howard County: The separate public housing authority serving Howard County - administers Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing units, and Project-Based Rental Assistance. Direct peer operating within the same jurisdiction on closely related affordable housing programs.
• Howard County Coalition to End Homelessness: Local Continuum of Care entity that DHCD coordinates with on homeless services, coordinated entry system, and emergency shelter referrals. Direct partner-peer in serving the same homeless/at-risk population within Howard County.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/hocogov
• Facebookfacebook.com/HoCoGov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howard-county-government

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howard County Housing and Community Development