Department of Housing and Community Development Supports First Section 811 Project in Maryland

ABINGDON, Md. (April 29, 2016) – Today, representatives from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Maryland Department of Disabilities, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Harford County Housing and Community Development, and other partners for the grand opening of the Riverwoods at Tollgate community in Abingdon, Maryland’s first-ever Section 811 housing development.

Secretary Holt provides remarks
at the grand opening of Riverwoods at Tollgate.

A unique concept, housing developments that meet HUD Section 811 classification provide rental housing intended to better support low-income adults with disabilities. The Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program allows persons with disabilities to live as independently as possible in the community by subsidizing rental housing opportunities which provide access to appropriate supportive services.

Riverwoods at Tollgate will feature 13 two-bedroom units set aside for low-income persons with disabilities. Tenant referrals for these units will be accepted from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Disabilities. The remaining 71 units will feature a mix of affordable and market rate apartments.

“I’m proud that the state of Maryland is part of this wonderful project that supports the ideals of fair housing — equal access and opportunity, inclusivity, diversity and independence, ” Secretary Kenneth C. Holt remarked on the vanguard effort.

Riverwoods at Tollgate is located in the rapidly growing Constant Friendship area of Abingdon. It is part of a larger mixed‐use development that is expected to include affordable housing for seniors and a 51,000 square foot commercial development. Residents of Riverwoods will enjoy convenient access to a wide variety of businesses within walking distance of the project, including grocery stores, a movie theater, banks, restaurants, and personal service establishments.

The department administered $971,787 in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits with an estimated equity value of $10 million, as well as $179,712 in Section 811 funding, the maximum allowable annual contract. Additional funding for this $19 million project was financed with an $8.2 million, FHA-insured, first mortgage from AGM Financial, a $300,000 HOME loan from Harford County and an estimated $674,381 in deferred developer fees. The development team was Osprey Property Company LLC, PaxEdwards LLC, and Harford Community Action Agency, Inc., and Habitat America will serve as property manager.

Osprey Property Company LLC recently received the Expanding Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities award from the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition and the Department of Housing and Community Development for creating this community.

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CONTACT: Sara Luell, Director of Communications, sara.luell@maryland.gov, 301-429-7803