6620 Amberton Drive

Elkridge, MD 21075-6216

Phone: 410-796-7824

Fax: 410-379-1308

E-mail:

Association of Community Services 410-796-7824

INTRODUCTION

The Association of Community Services of Howard County (ACS) is a dynamic network of more than 140 human service providers (non-profit, for-profit and government agencies) and community advocates focused on Howard County. ACS works with elected officials and other community leaders to identify critical human services issues, develop meaningful solutions, and participate actively in efforts to implement them in our County.

This year for the first time in the County’s history the Department of Citizen Services, in partnership with ACS, developed a Human Services Plan for Howard County for 2005 - 2010. This plan takes a comprehensive look at the health and human services needs and issues affecting Howard County citizens. The final Plan will be published in the early fall and will go before the County Council for adoption in November or December 2005.

In an effort to broaden participation in the process of selecting its priority issues, ACS held a town meeting in June, where members reviewed the issues identified in the Human Services Plan. Based on the discussion and voting conducted, four topic areas were identified as the priorities that ACS should address this year. These topics were then approved by the ACS Board of Directors. The four issue areas are:

  • transportation,
  • housing,
  • access to services & basic needs, and
  • health & mental health.

It should be noted that there is a strong interrelationship between these priority issues. If an individual has a need in one of these areas, it is likely that he or she will have needs in the other priority areas. Specific overarching themes include housing costs, transportation and Limited English Proficiency (LEP).

ACS has long advocated for the needs of our most vulnerable citizens including those who are economically disadvantaged, minorities, foreign born, people with disabilities, children and older adults. These populations remain top priorities to ACS as they are critical to the overall fabric and success of the community. Despite the affluence of the County, we must be attentive to the needs of those who struggle to live here including entry level health care workers, childcare workers, landscape workers and others.

Due to the complexity of the selected issues, not all facets of the issues can be addressed in this document. Specific areas of focus were chosen based on the ability to identify precise near term actions that would positively impact the issue. Lack of mention does not indicate a lack of importance or long-term priority. ACS will continue to monitor and respond to issues like homelessness, education issues, affordable childcare, after school programs, access to services like dental and substance abuse treatment, etc.

This year ACS also identified specific action steps for each priority in addition to the general advocacy that has been done historically. This will enable ACS, along with ourelected officials, to measure the progress made to further human services in Howard County.

The following table will help locate the position statements, action steps and background information for each issue.

Issue Area / Position Statements &
Action Steps / Background
Information
Public Transportation / Page 3 / Page 7
Housing / Page 4 / Page 9
Access to Services & Basic Needs / Page 5 / Page 11
Health & Mental Health / Page 6 / Page 14

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

POSITIONS

  1. ACS supports the reinstatement of planned cuts in Howard County MTA Routes especially along Route 1 and Route 40 and the relaxing of current standards to more realistically reflect the differing transportation requirements of a widely diverse region.
  1. ACS supports transportation planning and decision making that not only considers the requirements of all “special needs” groups to be of equal value to the development of roads and highways, light rail and intercity trains, but also acknowledges that special populations are disproportionately, negatively affected by route changes and service cuts. The actions of elected officials, Maryland Department of Transportation and MTA, and local transportation systems affect their daily lives and health and their economic ability to be independent.
  1. ACS supports a reinvigorated regional planning in which MTA takes the lead to create more efficient and effective inter-jurisdictional systems.
  1. ACS supports strengthening of linkages among Howard County Government, Economic Development Authority, other key organizations and employers, Howard Transit, Connect-a-Ride, MTA and other regional transit systems.

PRIORITY ACTION

  1. Howard County State Delegation (Delegation) to act jointly to seek, through legislation, administrative decision processes, or lobbying, the reinstatement of MTA routes, additional state funds for MTA and local systems and the relaxation of standards that currently restrict options for riders.
  1. Delegation to develop a plan of work with MTA/MDOT taking the lead in developing the much needed connectivity among state and local systems.
  1. Delegation to insist that MTA make available in a timely manner hard accurate data to state and local officials and citizens before holding hearings and/or making decisions regarding route changes, etc.
  1. County officials to take the lead in developing a partnership among Economic Development Authority, employers and transit systems.
  1. County officials and community leaders to accelerate a plan to build a transit facility as a cost saving and quality service measure. Howard Transit and other systems are at the mercy of Yellow Transportation, which has the only available service and maintenance depot in the Central Maryland region.

HOUSING

POSITIONS
  1. ACS supports the development and implementation of a master plan to address the housing needs of the economically disadvantaged and lower income scale workers of the County.
  1. ACS supports the enactment of legislation requiring a state tax assessment only on the portion of the MIHU property that the homeowner owns.
  1. ACS encourages the County to provide more innovative zoning to allow more affordable rental units that provide for apartments to be built above retail spaces. By providing the density required, additional affordable rental units can be created.
  1. ACS supports implementation of the Senior Housing Master Plan.
  1. ACS advocates for a thorough review of the eviction prevention programs to determine if they meet the current need of residents.
PRIORITY ACTION
  1. County officials to expand affordable housing requirements throughout the County for the economically disadvantaged and middle income families by creating an MIHU type program in all those zones that currently do not have an affordable housing requirement.
  1. Delegation to seek property tax deferral relief to individuals who only own a portion of their home.
  1. County officials to identify zoning opportunities to create affordable rental units like the Corridor Activity Centers.
  1. Delegation to support streamlining the state Tax Credit Program bond approval process to increase the availability of funding for affordable housing.
  1. County officials to implement the recommendations of the Howard County Senior Housing Master Plan.
  1. County officials to conduct a complete review of the eviction prevention programs to determine if they are adequate to meet the need

ACCESS TO SERVICES & BASIC NEEDS

POSITIONS

  1. ACS advocates that Howard County Government completes the development and funding of its LEP plan. ACS further recommends that County Government provide leadership in developing a community-wide effort to improve access to services
  1. ACS advocates for federal, state and local funding to support the required implementation of LEP programs within the County. Current federal and state LEP laws and requirements do not provide implementation funding and are considered an un-funded mandate.
  1. ACS supports development of service delivery models that uses existing facilities and space like schools and senior centers when they are not being used to encourage more mobility and flexibility, particularly in enrolling people in services.
  1. ACS advocates improving information and referral systems by cross training staff, consolidating resources, expanding community outreach. This may include developing more effective case management strategies to help families needing multiple services.

PRIORITY ACTION

  1. County Government to convene a task force to develop an LEP Plan by September 30, 2006 which should also assure adequate opportunities for ESOL classes.
  1. County and State officials to secure state and local funding to support the required implementation of LEP programs within the County.
  1. County officials to implement the recommendations of the Human Services Master Plan.

HEALTH & MENTAL HEALTH

POSITION

  1. ACS supports all efforts to expand health care insurance coverage to the uninsured residents of Howard County, as well as the uninsured throughout Maryland. ACS further advocates for continued support of services like the Health Alliance that provides health services to the uninsured.
  1. ACS supports development of new programs and the expansion of existing services that address mental health crisis intervention for the residents of Howard County.
  1. ACS supports strengthening the existing public mental health care system in Howard County to assure access to quality mental health care services and a continuum of care.

PRIORITY ACTION

  1. Delegation to support restoration of state funding to Medical Assistance Programs including the $1.5 million cut from State-funded Medicaid in FY 06 that supported children and pregnant women who are legal immigrants, as well as the $75 million cut in FY 04 and $115 million cut in FY 05 from the Medical Assistance/Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP).
  1. County officials to secure funding to increase the operating hours of the Howard County Mobile Crisis Team to include weekend daytime hours and establishment o non-hospital, psychiatric urgent care services for all County residents.
  1. Delegation to secure adequate state funding to cover the ongoing need for inpatient psychiatric services for the Medicaid population.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

With the rapiddevelopment of Howard County from a semi-rural, agrarian community to an active suburban community of over 270,000 residents, the importance of public transportation has grown significantly. Transportation is recognized as the most basic and most barrier- ridden requirement for delivery and use of human services and resources. Its timely and efficient availability affects every element of ACS’s other priority issues. It will have a major impact on the success of the new Human Services Master Plan for Howard County

Historically, the needs addressed have been those of people with disabilities, older adults and some youth. Employment, medical appointments and essential shopping have been the key requirements of these groups. “Special needs” will have to be redefined if transportation issues are to be realistically addressed. “Special needs” must include people who are transportation dependent for employment whether in the County or the immediate surrounding area; low income, foreign born new residents and speakers of other languages as well as people with disabilities, older adults and youth. Elected officials and transportation planners need to always be aware that people with special needs are inordinately affected by cuts in services, long delays or no shows and long routes which mean infrequent runs. These are the people with the fewest options to fill the gaps.

Regionally

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) has established rigid standards separating fixed route from paratransit routes (curb to curb service) and urban, suburban and rural areas when developing transit routes. Its commuter services are closely tied to these regulations. ACS’s priority is to recognize that performance standards are not “one size fits all”. Regulations should also fit reality. Ridership requirements may not be the most accurate evidence of service requirements. According to commuters at a recent MTA hearing in Howard County, decisions are mainly made based on these records without consideration of service effects like late or no-show buses, mismatched schedule and transfer points and inaccurate expected outcomes. The Lower and Upper Eastern Shore counties have a more sophisticated plan and reciprocity between services and may be looked at as one model of inter-county success.

Each region in the state, especially Central Maryland, has its own transportation plan and system with little coordination of schedules, meeting places and times and transfer points. In many cases riders with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) certification for using public transportation are only certified in their county of residence, thereby significantly reducing their ability to travel between counties. Efforts were initiated and apparently abandoned to create inter-region fare cards with the counties and city sharing the fare revenues. If this is a viable and productive option, although difficult, it should be reexamined.

Locally

Countypublic transportation includes Howard Transit, which provides intra-county fixed route bus service in Clarksville, Columbia, Ellicott City, North Laurel, Savage and Elkridge. Service is provided Monday – Friday and is limited on Saturday and Sunday (when working families without cars might need it most). Connect-A-Ride provides local transportation in the Laurel area including travel between Laurel and Columbia. Howard Transit is funded in part by Howard County Government and managed by Corridor Transportation Corporation (CTC) as is Connect-a-Ride.

Howard Transit (HT) and Connect-a-Ride have made a concerted effort to improve service efficiency, and riders themselves have cited many improvements. (The Howard Transit System 2005 On Board Passenger Survey; 545 surveys completed; surveys presented in both English and Spanish) The limits on increasing frequency and reducing headway time are related to funding and increased costs. The last fare increase occurred in 2004 as a result of vendor cost increases. HT has only one transportation vendor available at this time, Yellow Transportation Company, which does limit its options in many services and costs.

There have been efforts to relate Howard County’s public transportation to employers’ needs in the County. Almost half of the survey respondents ride at least four days each week for employment both within the County and transferring to and from Connect-a-Ride, MARC trains, and MTA and WMTA buses. Improving connectivity between systems both locally and regionally would allow riders to seek jobs and have jobs in adjacent counties and Baltimore City, just as improved MTA routes originating in the city would bring prospective employees into Howard County. Howard Transit recognizes that the “E” route between Laurel and Columbia especially needs to be improved; it is a key route to bring workers to Columbia and the Route 1 corridor. If Howard Transit, MTA and Connect-a-Ride and a similar system in surrounding counties were better coordinated and headway times reduced to 30 minutes from the current one hour, it would greatly improve the options for workers and employers.

As the Economic Development Authority succeeds in bringing new, large service industries such as the ice cream manufacturing plant in the North Laurel/Whiskey Bottom area, there is a known need for hundreds of service level and trainee workers. Even though the County has a low unemployment rate, there are still unemployed and underemployed population groups available. Employers are very concerned about getting employees and managers surely know the difficulty in finding them is most often tied to transportation. County elected officials should look at transportation as an economic development tool; creating a coalition between the Economic Development Authority, Transportation Planning, the Chamber of Commerce and employers may be an important first step that they can achieve.

It is important to remember that “equal value” does not necessarily imply equal fiscal apportionment. “Equal value” recognizes the disproportionate effect of decisions on special needs groups and the disproportion of funding that will be required. It recognizes that special needs services are not and will not be self-sustaining. Fare revenues will never be enough and higher fares may even result in less ridership and less use of transit services as well as lost employment. Transportation is a huge budget item on both the state and local levels. The state, through the efforts of the Legislature should allow the use of surplus funds to stabilize current services and prepare for increased system requirements.

HOUSING

WORKFORCE HOUSING

The averagehome purchase price in Howard County has soared from $180,000 in 1995 to over $400,000 in 2005 - prices that many moderate and middle income wage earners in Howard County cannot afford. While this is a significant problem, a larger challenge faces those residents whose income is 25% or less of the median annual income of the County. While the current median income as published by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is $72,150, the Howard County median income is $88,250. ACS recognizes the complex issues of providing housing for the economically disadvantaged residents of the County, which may also extend to housing opportunities for employees working at the lower end of the income scale.

Renting

While it is a common goal to want to buy a home, it is critical for Howard County to preserve and build the number of rental units (apartments, town homes, and single family homes) so that people of all incomes can live and work in the County.

As people are moving out of poverty and into a more favorable economic situation, it is critical that supports exist to assist individuals and families in achieving economic stability. Howard County has eviction prevention programs that need to be evaluated for their effectiveness. There is a current lack of clarity about identification of families needing the service. It is imperative that a thorough review of the status of these programs, including Service Linked Housing (SLH), be conducted so that the entire community knows how many families and individuals can be helped.