Talbot County, Maryland

10/04/2023

Category: County Council

Don Bibb, Director, Housing Commission of Talbot (“the Commission”), joined officials from Talbot County, the Town of Easton, and Pennrose Management Company for a comprehensive update on the Doverbrook Housing redevelopment project, located on Dover Road in Easton, Maryland.

The Doverbrook community provides affordable housing for residents. Built in the ’70s, the apartments have reached their end of life, facing energy inefficiencies, outdated building codes, and requiring constant maintenance. Pennrose, a real estate developer, has been working with the Commission to redevelop the housing community and provided a presentation on current building plans at the meeting.

Redevelopment will include replacing the current 7 buildings with a smaller footprint of 5 buildings, renovation of the community building and adding 14 additional units to the property, providing a total of 64 affordable housing units upon completion of construction. In addition, the renovation will include adding a 1,000 square foot community space, green space, and improved water/sewer and drainage.

The entire project cost is estimated to cost $21 million and take approximately 14 months for construction, and will include support from local, State, and federal programs.

In November 2022, the Town of Easton and Talbot County agreed to contribute $250,000 each toward the project with the Town using their Housing Trust Fund and the County using American Rescue Plan Act funding. During the October 3rd meeting, Pennrose requested additional funding to finish out the project requirements.

The Commission provides housing assistance to low-income residents through the management of programs such as Low Rent Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Program – Section 8. These programs are income-based and the eligibility guidelines are set by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Currently, in Talbot County there is a 2-3 year waiting list for public housing, and a 5+ year waiting list for housing vouchers. In addition, the Commission reported that there is a 1% vacancy rate in Talbot County.

“The vacancy rate can be seen as a good thing, because it means we don’t have a lot of empty buildings, but also means that it can be very difficult to find housing for members of our community who are displaced,” said Bibb. “The bottom line is that this project would greatly enhance downtown affordability, and improve the quality of housing for current and future residents.”

For more information about the project, contact the Local Housing Authority for Easton at 410-822-5358.

doverbrook arpa housing