Annapolis Capital Punishment

This week's poll is about our public housing situation, which seems to be on everyone's mind. You are invited to respond to the survey. The below has been supplied to us by Trudy McFall, Former Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) and currently continuing as a volunteer to advise the HACA Board on redevelopment activities. Ms. McFall is also a putative candidate for mayor. Reader comments are most welcome.

Annapolis public housing is beginning a major transformation from public to private/public ownership and to professional private property management. Four of Annapolis' ten public housing communities are targeted for rebuilding or rehabilitation with a mix of homeownership and rental homes.

The four properties underway are two in the Clay Street area, Obery Court and College Creek Terrace, and two along Admiral Drive, Annapolis Gardens and Bowman Court. These properties consist of 314 existing units, or 28 percent of the City's public housing.

After a year long community planning process and adoption of a master plan for the area last year, work will start in late 2008 on the first phase of the two Clay Street properties. All necessary State and County funding has been or is being secured for the project. In Phase One, 48 of the oldest and most deteriorated of the Clay Street units will be torn down, with tenants relocated to other Housing Authority properties. Replacing those units will be 50 new rental units and 14 homeownership townhouses that will return a streetscape appearance to the area and provide enhanced security for the residents. The new rental units will continue to receive public housing subsidies and will serve low and moderate income residents, but they will be under private management. A new 4,100 square foot community center will support programs to move residents toward self-sufficiency. The balance of the work in the Clay Street area is expected to be done in two additional phases over the next few years.

The two Admiral Drive properties, Annapolis Gardens and Bowman Court, are in the process now of securing the necessary State and County funds. The plan is to substantially rehabilitate these units, expand the community center, and install a variety of security measures. This development when completed will also provide a mix of homeownership and rental units and will also have private professional property management.