Housing For All Calvert (HFAC) 
Housing For All Calvert suggests the following proposals to help provide more affordable, workforce and low-income housing.
| Proposals to Increase the Number of Affordable Units Available | Proposed Short Term Actions | Proposed Long Term Goals |
|---|---|---|
1. Promote Accessory Housing Units (i.e. in-law apartments, converted basements, garage apartments, etc) |
Encourage the County to waive or drastically reduce the Excise tax of $7,750 |
1) Reform/replace current excise tax with property transfer tax 2) Encourage lending institutions to make lower interest loans available specifically for Accessory units and identify licensed contractors to work with them. |
2. Change the zoning laws to promote affordable housing developments |
* Adopt inclusionary zoning ordinance requiring 1.5 affordable housing unit per ten-market priced units in all developments * Establish zoning that encourages mixed-use development (commercial and residential, such as apartments over street-level shops) * Encourage the zoning of larger portions of town center land to allow more apartment complexes |
|
3. Acquire land specifically dedicated to affordable housing |
Encourage the commissioners to donate county land or purchase privately held land to jumpstart a new affordable or workforce housing project. |
Establish an affordable housing land trust that will accept property and other donations and allow the donors a tax deduction (income, estate, etc.) |
4. Make existing affordable housing more accessible |
Identify a central point of contact for any available rental units. Property owners could register; realtors and potential renters could scan available units. |
Form an advisory board consisting of affordable housing professionals that can examine the existing application requirements and find a way to streamline them. |