Public Notice – State of Maryland Public Comment Period and Public Hearing for FFY 2026-SFY 2027 Annual Action Plan 

In accordance with the guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), notice is hereby given that the State of Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will hold a 30 (thirty) day public comment period on its draft State Fiscal Year 2027 (Federal Fiscal Year 2026) Annual Action Plan.

The Annual Action Plan (AAP) is a planning document required by HUD for grantees receiving funds in programs such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA), and the Housing Trust Fund (HTF).  Information gathered from the AAP is utilized to identify the housing and community development priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and guide the use of federal funding to provide decent housing, economic opportunities, and acceptable living environments for Maryland’s citizens.  The AAP covers the period of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, and the State of Maryland anticipates receiving between $20-22 million in funding for the above five grant programs.

Public comments on the draft Annual Action Plan will be accepted from Monday, March 30, 2026, until the end of day on Friday, May 1, 2026.  Any citizen or organization interested in providing a comment can do so by phone, email, or physical mail to Lauren Metz, Senior Federal Compliance Analyst, using the contact information listed below.

DHCD will hold two public hearings for the purpose of receiving citizen feedback on the draft plan.  An in-person hearing will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. in the Marvin Thomas Room at the East Columbia Branch of the Howard County Public Library (6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045).  The hearing is open to all members of the public and the location is accessible to persons with disabilities.  If additional accommodation is needed (including translation services), please contact Lauren Metz at the contact information below at least three days prior to the public hearing.    

DHCD will also hold a virtual public hearing on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.  This hearing is open to all members of the public and no advance registration is required.  

Anyone interested in attending the virtual public hearing can find the log-in information at https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Pages/ConsolidatedPlan.aspx.  

Any further questions or comments can be directed to:

Lauren Metz, Senior Federal Compliance Analyst
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
7800 Harkins Road
Lanham, MD 20706
(443) 386-7723
TTY: 1-800-735-2258
[email protected]