Public Housing Gets $3M Revamp In Annapolis After Years Of Lawsuits

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Annapolis public housing will get over $3 million to revamp its aging facilities that have sparked lawsuits and blame debates with city officials. Leaders say the money will renovate infrastructure and fix health issues that landed in court.

State, county and city officials on Monday announced that Annapolis public housing will receive:

• $300,000 from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
• $475,000 from Anne Arundel County
• $500,000 from the City of Annapolis

This funding joined the $2 million in commitments from the city and the state for predevelopment costs of the Choice Neighborhood Initiative, a redevelopment plan to rebuild Eastport Terrace and Harbour House. The city and state each allocated $1 million for the project.

"The Housing Authority has historically not received adequate funding to maintain and improve our properties," Melissa Maddox Evans, executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis, said in a press release. "These funds will allow us to make critical investments in our housing developments while continuing our mission of providing safe and quality homes for those who need it most."

The Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis, also known as HACA, is an independent organization that operates the town's public housing.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said over 100 of HACA's nearly 800 units are unoccupied because of revenue issues and a string of code violations that left many uninhabitable, The Baltimore Banner reported.

"The County, City, and State are stepping up in a way that has never been done before to restore stability and improve the quality of housing for hundreds of families who rely on these homes," Pittman said in the release.

Eye On Annapolis said the city and HACA settled a lawsuit filed by residents alleging unsafe living conditions made worse by a lack of inspections.

A federal judge in 2023 certified a related class-action lawsuit, covering about 1,700 residents served by HACA, Capital Gazette reported.

The Banner said the city, in separate litigation, asked a judge to also hold HACA liable and consider placing it into receivership.

HACA and city officials are trying to make amends and will undergo mediation to resolve their disputes, The Banner said.

"For generations, the Housing Authority has worked to support low-income families in our community," Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said in the release. "Unfortunately, the availability of capital funding has been dwindling for decades. As an independent agency, it isn’t easy for the City to find a pathway for investments, but I thank our state partners and our law office for finding a way to ensure this funding gets to the people and the properties where it can make a real difference."

The Banner reported that HACA will use the new funding to renovate and refill the vacant units over the next 12 months.

Clifton Martin, former HACA CEO, recently outlined a roadmap to the agency's recovery. It calls for short-term investment to stabilize the housing authority, long-term financial restructuring, operational oversight and an accelerated plan to repair and improve existing units.

"In order to address the housing crisis, we must ensure that our existing housing stock is preserved and maintained, making the work of local housing authorities like HACA even more critical," Jake Day, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development secretary, said in the release. "The State of Maryland is proud to support the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis in its efforts to improve access to safe and affordable homes for Anne Arundel County residents."

Visit hacamd.org to learn more about public housing in Annapolis.