HERITAGE HOUSING PARTNER’S MISSION
To promote and provide quality affordable housing for the elderly and the disabled.
HERITAGE HOUSING PARTNER’S VISION
To be a proactive leader creating vital, inclusive and accessible communities by empowering residents through housing and access to services.
Heritage Housing Partners Corporation (HHP) presently manages and owns over 200 units of rental housing in Howard County, MD and Baltimore City. These include apartments, townhomes and single-family homes. In addition, HHP has sponsored directly or through joint ventures with other community-based organizations such as the Columbia/Community Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development a variety of other housing initiatives including: first time home buyer assistance programs, moving rental residents to homeownership, building new affordable single family homes, and providing down payment and closing cost assistance for many new homeowners.
HISTORY
Heritage Housing Partners (HHP), formerly known as the Columbia Interfaith Corporation, and Columbia Housing Corporation is a (501) (c) (3) nonprofit corporation established in 1967 for the purpose of developing, owning and managing low- and moderate-income rental housing in Columbia, Maryland. The original founders of HHP were the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Columbia Combined Ministries made up of various faiths including the Jewish Council of Howard County. The result of their initial effort was the creation of what is now known as Community Homes. Built between 1967 and 1969, Community Homes is a scattered site development of 300 townhouse and apartment units located on five properties in the Wilde Lake and Harpers Choice Villages of Columbia. This project was the first subsidized low-income affordable housing incorporated into Mr. James Rouse’s original development plan for Columbia. HHP was the owner until 2004 when Community Homes Housing Inc., was established and was the management agent for property until October 2012.
As Columbia grew, the residents of Columbia took on a direct role for the provision of affordable housing. Involvement by the religious groups diminished around 1978 when individual community representation was substituted for the institutional representation on the Board of Directors and the name changed to Columbia Housing Corporation (CHC). In 2016, Columbia Housing Corporation became Heritage Housing Partners Corporation (HHP).
In 2017 HHP received approval from the IRS to change its tax exempt status from a 501 c 4 to a 501 c 3.
From July of 2017 and go through June of 2018. HHP celebrated 50 years of providing affordable housing for the residents of Howard County with a series of activities including a happy hour, a picnic and an annual awards breakfast. The HHP Legacy awards breakfast was created to recognize local leaders in the field of affordable housing. In April of 2018, Tom Carbo, former Director of the Housing Department and the Housing Commission was posthumously recognized with his wife accepting the award on his behalf. Attorney Kevin Kelehan was also recognized for providing more than 40 years of service to affordable housing in the County. The 2019 Legacy Breakfast was held on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 where Patricia Sylvester was honored for her years of service at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Disabilities as well as her local service on the Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation. Due to the Covid-19 virus no event was held in 2020 or 2021. In April of 2022 Paul Casey, a housing attorney and a board member on the housing commission and the Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation Board or Directors as the 2020-2021 winner and Grace Kubofcik, a well- known and well respected community advocate, received the 2021-2022 award.
SENIOR HOUSING
Shalom Square, developed by HHP in 1979, is a Section 8/202 subsidized housing complex located at 6200 to 6280 Foreland Garth in the Long Reach Village of Columbia. Shalom serves elderly and disabled low-income residents. The 50-unit garden style complex is made up of 15 efficiency units and 35 one-bedroom garden apartments.
In 2016, plans were started to substantially rehabilitate this property through the State of Maryland Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program. The LIHTC program is actually a program of the IRS. HHP was awarded their first ever Tax Credit project in December of 2017 for this work. The project was financed with the State 4% LIHTC and bond financing, an Energy Grant from the State, CDBG funds from the County as well as a PILOT from the County. HHP worked with Southway Builders, Wiencek and Associates Architects and Chesapeake Community Advisers. The legal team was Carney, Kelehan Bressler, Bennett and Scherr. Our tax credit partner is Cinnaire. The property also retained the HUD Section 202/8 project based voucher. Work on the project was completed as of December 31, 2018. Some of the changes in the units include all new appliances, cabinets, countertops, flooring, windows, painting, tile, and lighting and plumbing fixtures. Washers and dryers were also added to each unit. The exterior of the buildings were redone with new hardy plank siding and all building received new roofs. New sidewalks and landscaping was also completed. The Community Building was also completely redone and now includes fully accessible bathrooms, a kitchen, a meeting room a library and a management office. There are five fully accessible units: three one bedroom units and two efficiency units and there are two units for the site and hearing impaired.
OTHER FAMILY APARTMENTS
In 1988 with financial assistance from the State of Maryland and the Howard County Housing and Community Development Office, HHP formed a partnership with the Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, an affiliate of the Enterprise Foundation, to acquire a 60-unit apartment complex located in Ellicott City at 3570 – 3586 Court House Drive. Formerly known as Venus Gardens, Ellicott Terrace Apartments was incorporated under the name of Ellicott Terrace Inc., and was converted to a nonprofit corporation in 1992. Made up of five one and 55 two-bedroom apartments, this complex provided affordable housing for low and moderate-income families.
The Ellicott Terrace property was given to Howard County Housing Commission in April, 2009. HHP was the management agent until the redevelopment plans began in 2010. Ellicott Terrace is now part of a larger complex owned by the Howard County Housing Commission known as Burgess Mills.
GROUP HOME ACQUISITION
Also in 1988, HHP developed a group home acquisition and property management program for physically and mentally challenged individuals. Supported Living, Inc. (SLI) and Residential Opportunities, Inc. (ROI) resulted from a consortium of agencies comprised of the Howard County Association of Retarded Citizens (HCARC), Adaptive Living, Inc., Catholic Charities, HUMANIM, formerly known as Developmental Services Group and HHP. Financial assistance to purchase SLI’s 18 group homes was provided by the State of Maryland Community Development Office, Howard County Housing and Community Development Office, the Baltimore Regional Community Development Corporation and the Enterprise Loan Fund. The Department of Housing and Urban Development under the HUD 811 PRAC Program, and the Howard County Housing and Community Development Office financed ROI’s seven group homes.
In 1998 HHP, in partnership with HUMANIM, was awarded a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the PRAC 811 program to develop Transitional Housing Resources, Inc. (THRI). This entity purchased three SLI group homes.
HHP, in partnership with Adaptive Living, Inc., only, was awarded a PRAC 811 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2000 to develop Progressive Housing Partners, Inc. (PHPI). With this funding, PHPI purchased three of SLI’s group homes.
In 2002, HHP’s continued their successful partnership with HUMANIM, Inc., and was awarded a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish Access Homes, Inc. (AHI). This entity purchased two SLI group homes.
In 2007, the Howard County Office of Housing and Community Development awarded SLI a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to perform a major renovation on one of the group homes occupied by the ARC located on Cloudburst. The ranch style home was totally rehabbed to include Universal Design elements to accommodate the needs of the physically challenge and environmentally favorable design upgrades to conserve energy.
In 2008, a loan from the County’s HOME Program helped to fund the redevelopment of a handicap accessible group home on Torrent Row. This new home received the platinum standard from the National Home Builders Association and from the US Green Building Council through their LEED initiative by incorporating energy efficient design elements, materials and appliances. The goal is for the design and architectural lay out of this group home to be replicated by other agencies working with mentally and physically challenged individuals.
In 2010, HUMANIM developed two new group homes through the HUD PRAC 811 program, known as BB Homes providing housing to six individuals and secured HHP as the management agent.
In 2016, HHP and Arc of Howard County completed work on modifying a group home property on Red Lake in Columbia to make it accessible and more functional for the aging residents. A bond bill was passed by then State Delegate Guy Guzzone for $130,000, for half of the funds that were needed and HHP and Arc raised the matching dollars required to complete the project.
In 2020, SLI sold the home on Hickory Log to Humanim. The house on Our Time Lane was sold in 2021.
All of these entities are managed by HHP and oversight is provided by the same Board of Directors, the Housing Partners Board, with two representatives from each organization serving as members.
ST. MATTHEW HOUSE
In 2011, HHP was awarded the management contract for St. Matthew House, another Section 811 property. St Matthew House looks like a large home with 15 one-bedroom units in Kings Contrivance. The home provides housing to persons with physical disabilities. Since taking over, HHP has worked to provide upgrades and enhancements to the property for the safety, security and comfort of the residents. The roof and windows have all been replaced. There is a new state of the art secure visitor entry system with monitors inside the units so residents do not have to leave their unit to see who is at the door or to let them in. There is a new key card entry system. There is whole house Wi-Fi available to the residents. Flooring has been replaced throughout the building and all of the interior has been painted. New patio and porch furniture as well as new dining sets have been purchased.
PERPETUAL REVOLVING FUND
The Perpetual Revolving Fund (PRF), a division of the HHP, was organized in 1977 when 40 Columbia families donated $100 each to provide seed money to support the development of affordable housing.
The funds are available to develop housing under federal and state programs. PRF also seeks out alternative methods of increasing the stock of low- and moderate-income housing through partnerships with the private sector.
In 1987, with PRF funding, HHP purchased 13 units of housing in Clary’s Common that were later sold to first-time low- and moderate-income homebuyers who were former HHP rental residents.
Through the Home Purchase Assistance Project in 1990, PRF in general partnership with the Columbia Foundation, provided funds for second trust real estate notes for eight qualifying home buyers. The particular homes selected were constructed by Diversified Homes Meadowfield Project. First mortgages were funded through the Maryland Community Development Administration. HHP managed the processing and collection of the second mortgages.
In partnership with the Howard County Housing Commission in 2002, PRF provided funds and entered into a shared equity program with the Commission to secure affordable housing for first-time homebuyers. The Howard County Housing Commission acquired 17 affordable townhouse units out of the 340 sites at the Orchard Club project. Seven of these units were made available for direct sale and assignment to HHP/PRF.
In 2007, PRF began developing three lots located in the Lennox Park of Elkridge. The homes will be affordably priced and will be offered to low- to moderate-income families that live or work in Howard County. A fourth lot owned by PRF adjacent to the lots described above, was sold to Habitat for Humanity to further their efforts in providing low-income affordable housing in Howard County. The homes sold in April, 2009. Both CDBG and HOME funds were provided by the County to support this initiative. In 2019, PRF was merged with HHP.
BRIDGES TO HOUSING STABILITY
In 2018, HHP entered in to an agreement with Bridges to Housing Stability, another nonprofit housing provider in Howard County. HHP serves as the property manager for the Bridges Alliance Program providing leasing and rent and maintenance services for the 53 homes in the Bridge’s program that are scattered throughout the County.
HOPE WORKS
In the fall of 2019, HHP entered in to an agreement with HopeWorks to provide maintenance services to their homes in the County. HopeWorks provides services and support for victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual trafficking. As of the fall of 2021, HHP no longer supports HopeWorks.
HELP END HOMELESSNESS HOWARD COUNTY (HEHHC)
HHP entered in to an agreement to provide leasing and rent and maintenance services to Help End Homelessness Howard County in the fall of 2019. HEHHC currently has five homes in Howard County. In the summer of 2022, HEHHC turned their five units over to the Bridges Alliance Program and so they will continue to be managed by HHP Corp.
OAKLAND PLACE
In keeping with the HHP mission to preserve affordable housing, in December of 2019, with support from the Howard County Housing Department, HHP purchased Oakland Place. Oakland Place is a 16-unit townhome community. Each unit has 4 bedrooms 3 full and one half bathes and a garage. The property is located on Oakland Mills Drive in Columbia and has four MIHU units.
CHAI HOPED
In October of 2020, HHP entered in to a management agreement with CHAI HOPED to manage their six independent living homes in Baltimore City. These homes house residents with mental health challenges. HHP provides resident services, leasing and rent and maintenance support under this contract. This is the first work for HHP outside of Howard County.