Building PARKS Holistic Housing for Women

“Affordable housing is not a favor that can be given and withdrawn based on someone’s personal whim. It’s a responsibility. Families, communities, and public trust depend on predictable, fair processes.

Sisterhood Agenda remains committed to ensuring every decision, every action, and every project serves the people we were invited to help.”

Angela D. Coleman, Founder and President, Sisterhood Agenda, Inc.

Sisterhood Agenda, Inc. strongly rejects Baltimore County’s recent allegation that Sisterhood Agenda breached its HUD HOME CHDO grant agreement.

To date, Sisterhood Agenda has not received clear, contractually grounded notice identifying any material breach that would justify termination or repayment under the governing agreement.

Sisterhood Agenda has, at all times, acted in good faith and in material compliance with the terms of the HUD HOME CHDO grant agreement administered by Baltimore County for its PARKS Holistic Housing development. The grant operates on a reimbursement basis, requiring Sisterhood Agenda to incur preapproved project expenses and then submit documentation for review and reimbursement. Baltimore County reviewed, approved, processed, and paid multiple reimbursement requests submitted by Sisterhood Agenda pursuant to this structure.

The expenses now being challenged were previously submitted, reviewed, and approved for payment by the County under its established procedures. If Baltimore County believed these expenses were noncompliant, it had both the authority and the responsibility to raise those concerns before approving and disbursing grant funds.

Sisterhood Agenda relied on the County’s approvals in continuing its development activities and financial commitments. Over time, however, additional procedural layers were introduced. Previously approved reimbursements were subjected to re-review. Meetings, including scheduled technical assistance and progress meetings and a scheduled HUD Conciliation Conference with the HUD Conciliator, were missed. Communications stalled. Funding was paused, and eventually terminated, without clear process or explanation.

Abruptly halting reimbursements, re-reviewing previously approved and paid draws, and subsequently seeking recovery of those funds has placed Sisterhood Agenda in an untenable position and undermines the predictability necessary for nonprofit housing development.

Sisterhood Agenda maintains that Baltimore County’s decision to suspend reimbursements, terminate the grant, and initiate litigation is premature and inconsistent with grants administration for HUD-funded housing programs.  HUD contracts and regulations, particularly in areas like fair housing and CHDO affordable housing, place a strong emphasis on curative actions, mediation, and settlement negotiations to resolve disputes informally before initiating termination or legal action. 

For nonprofit organizations, particularly those led by women and serving historically underrepresented communities, equitable access to public processes is essential. The integrity of government institutions depends on consistent application of rules, transparent communication, and freedom from external influence.

Sisterhood Agenda believes that public confidence is strengthened when government partners apply standards uniformly and resolve disputes cooperatively rather than through escalation. Affordable housing should not depend on shifting administrative interpretations or unpredictable enforcement. It should depend on fairness.

Sisterhood Agenda, Inc. remains committed not only to fulfilling the goals of its HUD-funded housing project but also to upholding public trust, as we have for over 30 years. Families waiting for affordable, accessible homes rely on predictable processes and consistent support from government partners. We stand firm in our mission to ensure that every decision, every process, and every action in Sisterhood Agenda’s affordable housing development serves the community faithfully and responsibly.

Links:

• Sisterhood Agenda Stands Firm on Affordable Housing
• PARKS Holistic Housing Video

• HUD Investigating Baltimore County (PDF)
  

Sisterhood Agenda’s PARKS Holistic Housing is a mixed-income development.  When you look at how much you can afford to pay each month for shelter, most economists suggest a healthy budget allocates no more than 25% of your monthly income towards housing needs. Some of us may think it is an unrealistic goal, especially today, when rental rates are rising, not going down.  Some of us easily pay 50% or more to stay in a home where we are most comfortable.

If you are looking for a safe, eco-friendly, affordable home with green space, then PARKS Holistic Housing may be for you. Our development is designed to be affordable for regular working people who make 30% 50%, and 60% AMI, which is the Annual Median Income for the state. “Median” means average.

Contrary to popular belief, affordable housing can be for residents who make more than 30% AMI. Since our development is located in the State of Maryland, the income rates for Sisterhood Agenda’s affordable housing homes are specific to the State of Maryland. Let’s get into more detail with real numbers.

Maryland has one of the highest median incomes in the country.  Therefore, its AMI is already pretty high.  For example, according to the State of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, where Sisterhood Agenda’s affordable housing project site is located in Baltimore County, at 60% AMI:

• The median household income is $122,200. 
• The Income Household Limit for a household for one person is $47,090.
• The maximum gross rent affordability for a one-person household is $1,177.   
• The Income Household Limit for a household with two people is $53,800.
• The maximum gross rent affordability for a two-person household is $1,345.
• The Income Household Limit for a household with three people is $60,520.
• The maximum gross rent affordability for a three-person household is $1,513.
• The Income Household Limit for a household with four people is $$67,230.
• The maximum gross rent affordability for a four-person household is $1,681.
• The Income Household Limit for a household with four people is $72,620.
• The maximum gross rent affordability for a five-person household is $1,816.

Of course, there are exceptions. Unlike most private developers, Sisterhood Agenda, Inc. is a nonprofit and community-based HUD-certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). Money is not our main priority because our initiatives are mission-driven.

PARKS Holistic Housing home applications are followed up with an interview because people are more than what they may seem on paper.  For example, women who are escaping abusive relationships, veterans, seniors, and others often have a story to tell about why their credit might not be perfect or why their need for housing is urgent. They may have a service animal or special needs that require special accommodation. Everyone is unique and deserves a nice home.

Public funds for housing, getting more and more difficult to secure, often have nothing to do with the value that residents add to a community, their capacity to be a good neighbor, or their economic stability. Furthermore, asking about a resident’s status with a government rental assistance program may constitute discriminatory landlord behavior that is contrary to fair housing rules and regulations. Plain and simple, accepting rental assistance programs like Section 8 or housing vouchers is the law.

Calling Sisterhood Agenda’s PARKS Holistic Housing “Section 8” or “public” housing is inaccurate, inappropriate, defamatory, and even harmful because it stigmatizes residents and can make them feel “less than” for no reason. For us, one thing is very clear:

Affordable housing is sustainable housing. And it is for “regular” people.”

As you can see from the list of income limits, such as $60,520 for a three-person home, many AMI household incomes are considered middle-class, not lower-income or poverty-level incomes. People work hard at highly skilled and important jobs. Many of them are now demanding home opportunities that also fit their needs and budget.

For Sisterhood Agenda, Inc., helping the housing supply meet current housing demand makes sense.

We can make housing affordability and sustainability a priority for all as goals in 2026!

In the Spirit of Sisterhood,
Angela D. Coleman, MBA, CNM
Sisterhood Agenda, Inc.

Links:

• PARKS Holistic Housing Video