Columbia cultural center needs funding
As COVID-19 takes a toll on our health and economic well-being, our local, state and federal officials are making some of the toughest decisions of their careers as they balance the various needs of the communities they serve.
The uncertainty of the future weighs heavily on all of our minds. And, as the Howard County Council considers the 2021 budget there are many unanswered questions. What does the budget look like six months, six years down the road? Will businesses survive a prolonged shutdown? How many unemployed Marylanders will there be?
It is under this pressure that the Howard County Council is considering a budget that puts in place funding for the New Cultural Center, a hub for the visual and performing arts that was developed as part of the Downtown Columbia Plan.
It is crucial that the funding mechanism for the New Cultural Center be approved. Without the funding structure in place, we stand to lose tens of millions of dollars in federal and state funds for affordable housing and the economic stimulus that the construction and operation of the development will bring.
Unfortunately, some council members are poised to remove more than $60 million in funding for the center as they address a $21 million overall budget gap. While we appreciate prudent budgeting, the New Cultural Center bonds will be paid for by project revenues and not by the county. Failure to fund the center now risks the county losing more than $60 million in federal and state funding for a low-income housing tax credit project, which will be built with and stand on top of the cultural center. The council’s actions seem penny wise and pound foolish.
At the last work session I heard council members express concern about the timing of the project, but I can attest that years of work and planning have gotten us to this point with this unique development. The current funding plan was developed after a thorough, candid and thoughtful exchange of ideas over the course of two years. It’s a well-thought-out plan that brings together the arts, creates the socio- and economic diversity Columbia demands, and keeps the county in a fiscally sound place.
And while it may seem easy to kick the can down the road, the center is the linchpin for moving forward with this first lowincome housing tax credit development included in the affordable residential development plan for downtown Columbia. Without the cultural center, affordable housing in downtown Columbia comes to a standstill. Plain and simple.
The Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation, which helps ensure that downtown Columbia incorporates affordable housing for low-, moderate- and middleincome families throughout the development, stands behind the New Cultural Center. The center is critical to fulfilling our mission and the community’s promise to provide affordable housing to members of our community in downtown Columbia. Not only does a delay for the New Cultural Center put current tax credits at risk, it delays affordable housing projects down the line, and puts those projects in jeopardy as we seek funding through the state and federal governments.
A vote to delay funding for the New Cultural Center, even for one year, shows a lack of understanding and support for the county’s critical need to house its heroes and essential workers in quality and affordable housing near where they work and ensure economic activity continues in downtown. These are not minor, inconsequential issues but foundational elements of a vibrant, sustainable community. A point clearly at risk of being missed by this council.
We get it. COVID-19 and other economic uncertainties make budgeting scary right now, but it also makes affordable housing and economic development all the more important. As our community recovers from this global health pandemic, housing affordability will be critical. Delaying now means more affordable housing for those who need it most will remain out of reach. And as in the1930s, it is crucial for government to lead through stimulus and vision. The New Cultural Center is the perfect vehicle to bring the county out of the downturn, especially given the small amount of operating funds obligated by the county.