March 17, 2025

TO: The Honorable Elizabeth Walsh, Chairperson, Howard County Council and members of the Council.
FROM: Laura Mettle, President, League of Women Voters of Howard County

RE: Testimony In FAVOR of: Council Bill 18-2025, Transit Oriented Development - Residential Units Exemptions

The League of Women Voters of Howard County has long supported efforts to ensure an adequate choice, in a suitable living environment, within the economic reach of persons of all ages in choosing a home. We support diverse housing types that provide an increased amount and percentage of affordable units, including both low-income and moderate income units, and additional housing for seniors, disabled individuals, and families. All members of our community deserve a safe, comfortable, and affordable place to live.

The League also supports building housing in areas with robust public transportation in Howard County, allowing residents to forego the use of private vehicles.

It makes perfect sense to us to remove barriers that prevent the expeditious construction of badly needed moderate income housing units, disability housing units, and, hopefully, senior housing. It also makes sense to streamline and expedite the approval process to construct those units, especially in areas of close proximity to public transportation networks.

In future legislation, we would encourage erasing the distinctions between senior, disability, and moderate income housing units, as those categories are not mutually exclusive and an individual may fit all three categories. Segregating where people live based on age or ability is as discriminatory as is segregation based on any other factor. Fair Housing practices based upon race or income should also extend to Fair Housing based upon age and ability.

To further the goal, we encourage consideration of adopting Universal Design for Living in construction of these units, which would expand their usefulness to the entire community and would increase the return on investment of public money used in this project.