Housing and Community Development

The Office of Housing and Community Development is a division of the Department of Planning and Public Works. Our Division Head is Gary Ehlers, who reports to the Director of Planning and Public Works, Thomas Beyard who, in turn, reports directly to the City Administrator. Our mission is accomplished through partnerships with community nonprofit organizations, businesses, and other government agencies at the County, State, and Federal levels. We are creative, connected, diverse, and flexible in our approach.

Purpose

The Office of Housing and Community Development serves the citizens of Westminster by fulfilling the following functions:

• Ease the financial burden on local residents by providing federal rental assistance to qualified elderly, persons with disabilities, and other limited income individuals and families.

• Provide assistance to limited income residents in the areas of tenant-landlord education, housing counseling, and financial counseling.

• Help to revitalize older neighborhoods - both Downtown Westminster and targeted older residential areas - by encouraging reinvestment, creating low cost financing tools, creating marketing tools, providing financing to area nonprofit organizations, targeting redevelopment efforts to key parcels, and attracting State and Federal funds for housing, community development, and revitalization efforts.

• Develop and implement special projects to aid limited income persons and revitalize neighborhoods.

How To Find Us

We are located in the Winchester West building, 56 W. Main St., Westminster, Maryland, 21157. We are on the corner of John Street, with our entrance off the John Street parking lot. We are open weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and closed weekends and holidays. You may also reach us by telephone at (410) 848-2261 or 876-6322, or our TDD is 848-9214.. Our Fax line is 876-0865. You may also reach us via e-mail.