[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6558771,"mediaKeyId","3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712","parentId",3231250,"title","Columbia Housing Center urges council to fund CSP grants, highlights student rent subsidy and Voucher-to-Keys pilot","audioSeconds",313,"startMs",572000,"endMs",885000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712&start=572&end=885","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712/thumbnail_572000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6558771/Howard-County/Maryland/Columbia-Housing-Center-urges-council-to-fund-CSP-grants-highlights-student-rent-subsidy-and-Voucher-to-Keys-pilot","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558771-20391f2a452e205cda63274f69a5a86b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159752&Signature=ARg1drJOAy-MvYJOxewcS9h7n5rgaAqi4fqfWtnUlJu9VRMAOhO3v1crwX8iEnN3n03-lFbz~nOo-y-IdAoCpnirUUWCROm5BkeA6PGJ6YmkuA9UOK0IqVtx~tbx7mGDrWSY3nMLMEpEJP~hjxzauzyJYG5IFOlIlWHvyHSecOjqU3DHlJxyeOYDD~QJBNWUmXQGu5M5-hFVYW13DZKbsA-ctuvlFIXvXtLQAhWd34cyE6YAm65FYzfT8CFnhmEJmRYZbq087Aa2evoDid3suYL5ckezDzJ7cOhj~V9NS1Qa9AtWHPN9qTIaaoSFIgSyX6Eviow4Hd4nFuAYw3C7-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Howard","date","2025-05-08T00:00:00Z","article","Jessamine Duvall, representing the Columbia Housing Center, urged the Howard County Council to adopt the county executive's recommended Community Service Partnership (CSP) grant funding for local nonprofits and described two programs the nonprofit runs with county support.

Duvall said Columbia Housing Center's student rent subsidy program, funded by community renewal funds from the Department of Housing and Community Development, assists up to 50 low- and moderate-income students attending Howard Community College by providing a rent subsidy of up to $800 per month for up to two years while they attend HCC. She said the program is at capacity, has a waiting list and that the first two students who received assistance were graduating in May.

Duvall also described a smaller pilot, funded by an E&O (Emerging Needs and Opportunities) grant, called Voucher to Keys, which offers case management and financial help to housing voucher recipients so they can secure rental units before their vouchers expire. She said current local success rates for voucher holders seeking housing are approximately 50 percent, and that about 79 percent of voucher holders identify as single female heads of household. Duvall described work that includes identifying financial barriers, liaising with landlords and paying costs such as security deposits and moving expenses; she provided an example of a single mother who moved into housing with the program's help shortly before her voucher expired.

Duvall asked the council to fund the CSP and housing department grants as proposed in the executive's FY2026 budget so programs that support students and voucher holders can continue.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Howard - Budget Public Hearing - Capital and Operating - May 08, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Jessamine Duvall, representing the Columbia Housing Center, urged the Howard County Council to adopt the county executive's recommended Community Service Partnership grants and described a student rent subsidy and a pilot program that helps voucher recipients secure housing.","taxTitle","Howard County, Maryland","taxId",13634,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558776,"Students ask Howard County to fund pilot providing free menstrual products in public facilities",148,387000,535000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712&start=387&end=535","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712/thumbnail_387000.jpg","/articles/6558776/Howard-County/Maryland/Students-ask-Howard-County-to-fund-pilot-providing-free-menstrual-products-in-public-facilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558776-ad7ef1ebe343162b0d70351a6adfe3ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159752&Signature=M0Ieb4G6xSSKcrpCPc2m90p5oNYYT5m~XREQR6fpf8RZNu07t9HirO7A9pW9I41~BYnqxChU1uzbtSS61oSWczzEQ6CYxd6hxN02d4J4mdDfuLvhkYB9U4Em1OMORYwJCVimHYBJHzodCF3UX1Lliu52OC9Lkc5ouMtvzfmANjewowzTyRklT7iN0bp6wSkzD~eNyMzj3hq0pRntMqKPcnDkfL0dF9pqREENdvZYirnrQXqUfH9vUt0id-meVeo4FUMyXKhRvhmPdCdJt3uH-96uiJ4OIsvV-OHR62Ou30N0TA7I8CB8KRL4otXf5FszTsUtO6qcP4Kp1a9EfJdTCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Mount Hebron High School student urged the Howard County Council to add a menstrual-products pilot program to the FY2026 budget, saying students from several county high schools had previously asked for the same program at an earlier budget hearing.

Isha Ande, a junior at Mount Hebron High School, testified that students from Mount Hebron, Howard, Marriotts Ridge, Long Reach and Centennial had advocated for free menstrual products in all county community centers, athletic complexes and public libraries. “The use of menstrual products should not be a luxury,” she said, and called the absence of such a program “a responsibility the council has to protect your constituents.”

Ande presented cost estimates her group calculated: she said a three-month pilot would cost $4,964.84 and that annual continuing costs after an initial equipment or capital purchase would be $4,459.36. She also said the county's FY2026 budget was approximately $1.219 billion and that the pilot’s cost represented a very small fraction of that total; she provided a proportional figure in her testimony. Ande said some students reported using toilet paper as a substitute when products were not available and that some people in homeless shelters lacked necessary access.

Ande asked council members to consider initiating the pilot to protect health and dignity and described the program as likely to have small fiscal impact relative to the county budget.

Her remarks were made during the council's public hearing on the county executive's FY2026 proposed operating budget.","A group of high school students asked the council to add funding for a menstrual products pilot that would place free products in libraries, community centers and athletic complexes, and presented cost estimates they calculated for a three-month pilot and annual continuation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558779,"Students, parent urge Howard County Council to fund Centennial High renovations and special education",152,202000,354000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712&start=202&end=354","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712/thumbnail_202000.jpg","/articles/6558779/Howard-County/Maryland/Students-parent-urge-Howard-County-Council-to-fund-Centennial-High-renovations-and-special-education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558779-e86bc1109ded7e35fff735b515d04ce8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159752&Signature=Rz14EZYo~s3aOZMp7HN~jqxI2qNndBkcL3XflIhjL3fMZc8I8fyAatd2nrrcN1Jv0jqtKGD1KnDpXKAoEV1m4fenHTkmh7B9Bxca3QrusAjRO-IBDx2slnduKaHAnco1OYygfMyC0GCd-rnIzTnaubiDz2z5T3yri6788Fahzy46v-rEajH60ikXBsw9u58bhRlqrePRlnUfzP1Kws5tIp23Gstv~azyb8h1oEe4UuCJAHqb2UODH3HNhpP~qjQjBgxOBpN2uC9pJdkDHC2bnY7~a7qNgIpskNO8En6jVDZOR~HFbzJEQSwRGBrgHaXtzlicgpVNGMSRX391ZTFHjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A student at Centennial High School and a longtime education advocate urged the Howard County Council during the FY2026 executive proposed budget public hearing to allocate funds for school renovations and for school system priorities, including special education.

Angela, a junior at Centennial High School, told the council that the school is experiencing “ceilings are falling in, becoming unsafe,” flooding that has damaged student artwork, frequent power outages, mice and mold in classrooms and repeated problems with toilets. “Not one day goes by and I'm not scared if a piece of my ceiling is gonna fall on my head,” she said. Angela said the school had five power outages in one week and described athletic- and facilities-related safety problems: lack of outdoor restrooms for visiting teams, steep ramps that she said are not ADA-compliant for athletes and visitors, and damaged softball fields and track surfaces that prevent hosting meets.

The student asked council members to allocate at least a portion of the FY2026 budget to renovations at Centennial so students and staff “can learn, teach, and create without the fear of our walls collapsing on us.”

Brendan Murray, a parent and longtime education advocate, also addressed the council and asked members to “fully fund” education priorities in the county budget. Murray said his priorities include special education and school safety and warned that reductions in federal funding could increase pressures on local funding. He said he had worked on education funding campaigns in other states and that voters would remember how council members voted on education funding.

Both speakers offered their testimony during the council's public hearing on the county executive's FY2026 proposed operating budget. The council opened the hearing as a hybrid session (in-person and WebEx) and permitted public testimony after an advance sign-up; representatives from nonprofit organizations had five minutes, and individuals had three minutes to speak.

The council will hold additional FY2026 operating budget work sessions on May 12, May 14 and May 16 beginning at 10 a.m., and the council said written comments will continue to be accepted and considered before action is taken.","During the FY2026 executive proposed budget public hearing, a Centennial High School student described collapsing ceilings, mold and repeated outages and urged the council to allocate funds for renovations; a parent urged the council to \"fully fund\" education priorities including special education.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558762,"Howard County Council votes 5-0 to close meeting under Maryland statute to discuss personnel matters",84,1850000,1934000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712&start=1850&end=1934","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712/thumbnail_1850000.jpg","/articles/6558762/Howard-County/Maryland/Howard-County-Council-votes-5-0-to-close-meeting-under-Maryland-statute-to-discuss-personnel-matters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558762-6eb633b05bc9b0b884acd5ba274eaa25/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159752&Signature=CaZOKE85ABOMFEYXzUOo89r7zhNREYKigcqak0WwDMNH0ojEw6jq-kgUTSa7NHJGSWobo69x1roh3tRuuhNyn6iuYJWE1-RTVvQoyq4wNd-7A7Ga4dZzcfG8LOxxZzUs4~~pjSAQWqBZl02iP0XUJ-JL9Vx-WKcmXELOqTKKITN8-ZQmRk83N-RaFQeqGzx5J8p69Lhmf3QStLxsFXROc8KVEU4SAUfM51P1oIz6vrUviHsRC0gIl5jsL-9kQQSyxJ9hPqjIb6MJEimr35Go3SaP58~h4YQjmSbV0OCF2ctBV6gFJBVygn5eapvZOp-VE5aTLIvTdj22nmhXj41tTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Howard County Council voted unanimously to close its special meeting and move into a closed session to discuss a personnel matter.

A member moved that the meeting be closed in accordance with section 3-305(b)(1) of the General Provisions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland to discuss “compensation, employment, performance evaluation, and assignment of one or more specific employees.” The motion was seconded (second speaker not identified in the transcript), and the administrator called the roll. Chair Walsh, Dr. Jones, Ms. Young, Ms. Rigby and Mr. Youngman each voted “yes.” The motion passed 5-0, and the council adjourned the public hearing and ended the live stream before holding the closed session. The chair stated that after the closed session no further business would take place at that special meeting.

The statute cited in the motion was named during the meeting as the authority for the closed session.","At the end of the FY2026 budget public hearing the council voted unanimously to close the special meeting under General Provisions Article §3-305(b)(1) to discuss compensation, appointment and assignment of one or more specific employees.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558768,"Visit Howard County requests full tourism CSP funding, highlights Welcome Center renovation and economic impact",306,1034000,1340000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712&start=1034&end=1340","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3231250-bfdea75407847da4ca092b6235ec8712/thumbnail_1034000.jpg","/articles/6558768/Howard-County/Maryland/Visit-Howard-County-requests-full-tourism-CSP-funding-highlights-Welcome-Center-renovation-and-economic-impact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558768-696f2127366f3e2ba2c2952dd54a680b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159752&Signature=c2lLiX7GPMr61hTkTkKR6Ud-xa6MsfbeGL~jRa~ns4ixcI9v2vVY9NR2~hN3E5BLDoDmjIJkwbhaiXU5qXLpaWPsmT5ymCjX~h8Cwsch5en-OCK9M4L2FKvtlNRUjgW0J4MQx75Rc9jt5kjwulRXsvJSRcHwPnKqWdvUO5~1iU-FBedQFJSjlamGAW~LO4yuTtheSER~4fvXTY-VLSgp4nJqPm9XRvHujZAzlcPRiEy9klUaK88dFA5QE9VJ75Rq0JqO7oTP5-V-ACX2TOCBaCWHpyQk0r~gVeDkYpbTMhp~~c1tKrKYANa5vKuqthPNBszqUVEllrlZOVqRuUMnpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amanda Hoff, executive director of Visit Howard County, asked the Howard County Council to fully fund the county executive's FY2026 Community Service Partnership allocation for the Howard County Tourism Council and described plans for the Howard County Welcome Center.

Hoff said the Welcome Center, located at 8267 Main Street in Ellicott City's historic district, is undergoing renovation to restore the historic post office building; she said new exhibits would honor county history and that the renovation is expected to be complete in June with a ribbon-cutting to follow. Hoff said Visit Howard County represents more than 400 tourism-related businesses and organizations in the county and that tourism generates economic benefits to hotels, restaurants, retail outlets and cultural attractions.

Citing a tourism economics study for Maryland, Hoff said that tourism spending in Howard County reached $790,000,000 in 2023 and that, according to the study, every $1 invested in tourism promotion returns $34 in visitor spending and saves the average Maryland household $10.27 in annual taxes. She asked the council to fund the recommended CSP allocation so the organization can continue marketing and business-support work.

Council members asked Hoff for statistics on restaurants and local business listings; Hoff said she would follow up by email and described partnerships with the Economic Development Authority and the county business directory for more comprehensive business listings.

Hoff's remarks were delivered during the council's FY2026 executive proposed budget public hearing.","The executive director of Visit Howard County asked the council to fully fund the county executive's FY2026 Community Service Partnership allocation for the Howard County Tourism Council, described a Welcome Center renovation in Ellicott City and cited a 2023 tourism spending figure for the county.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Columbia Housing Center urges council to fund CSP grants, highlights student rent subsidy and Voucher-to-Keys pilot

Students ask Howard County to fund pilot providing free menstrual products in public facilities

Students, parent urge Howard County Council to fund Centennial High renovations and special education

Howard County Council votes 5-0 to close meeting under Maryland statute to discuss personnel matters

Visit Howard County requests full tourism CSP funding, highlights Welcome Center renovation and economic impact