Join us on August 12
We need to make our housing system more fair, more affordable and easier to navigate – and we need your help to do it. Join us on August 12 at the Association of Community Services for Building a Better Housing System in Howard County, our next Renter Town Hall, to learn more about the issues renters are facing in our community and get your feedback on potential policy ideas to fix these problems. We will have a panel discussion around the experience of renting in Howard County and how we can change laws and policies to better protect renters’ rights and improve affordability, access and housing quality. This event is open to current renters as well as homeowners, housing service providers and interested community organizations in Howard County. We hope to see you there!
Skylark: How Black Women Heal
We were honored to work with the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County to host a screening of Skylark earlier this month. Skylark is a documentary film loosely based on Dr. Yanique Redwoord’s memoir, White Women Cry and Call Me Angry. The film and our discussion with Dr. Redwood focused on confronting weathering, the silent toll of racism-related stress on Black women’s bodies, and embarking on a radical path toward healing. We also discussed our work that has continued since releasing our Elevating to Evolve report, which examined Black women’s experiences, challenges and contributions in nonprofit leadership roles in Howard County. It was an inspiring evening, full of connection and compassion, in service of a fundamental truth: when Black women thrive, the whole community is better for it.
Thank you to Dr. Redwood and her team for the film and their incredible work, and thanks to our community members who joined us!
Read our Elevating to Evolve Report>>
Organizations: Submit your comments on Medicaid work requirements
H.R. 1, passed by the federal government last year, included the largest cut to Medicaid in our nation’s history and also set up work requirements for enrollees to maintain their health coverage. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is currently accepting public comments on its proposed regulations, which go even further beyond what Congress enacted in the legislation. If these regulations are finalized, Maryland projects that over 150,000 residents will lose their health care coverage by June 2028.
When Marylanders lose their health coverage, they often are forced to get their care in the emergency room, which is the most expensive place possible. The resulting uncompensated care drives up health insurance premiums for all of us. Simply put, increasing red tape and stripping Medicaid coverage from people will not save anyone money – not the government, not health care providers and certainly not consumers. If you or your organization serves populations enrolled in the Medicaid program and are concerned about these regulations, please submit your public comments to the record by July 31, 2026.
Can you find the fairly-priced homes?
…Hard to find, right? That’s why we’re coming together to create them.
In Howard County, a fairly-priced place to call home can be hard to find. There are not enough places to live that people of all incomes can afford. We’re a growing community of neighbors coming together to do something about it – pushing for policy change that builds more fairly-priced homes, strengthens renters’ rights, and addresses unfair housing practices. We want a thriving community where everyone – working families, established professionals, long-time residents and those just getting started – can find a place to call home. And we need your help. We’re engaging people from all parts of the county, with a mix of skills and experiences to join in.
Find out how at HoCoNext.org and sign up for an area of interest so that you can support real change towards a better housing system in Howard County.
First Thursdays – August 6
The next gathering of our First Thursday community conversations will take place on August 6 at 10 a.m. at Horizon Foundation’s office. This month’s discussion will focus on housing. Specifically, we will hear from our friends at Everyday Canvassing about their recent work engaging with renters and insights on the experience of renting in Howard County. Please join us and your fellow Howard County residents for breakfast, connection and community.
To join, please RSVP to our Policy and Community Engagement Director, Jennifer White Holland, by Monday, August 3. Contact us with any questions!
Staff Picks & Resources: Check out what we’re reading, watching & learning
- Sports Fans Are Bridging America’s Political Divide (More in Common)
- A look at new barriers at the ballot box (NPR – Fresh Air)
- Congress Has Finally Passed Major Housing Reform. The Real Work Starts Now. (Urban Institute)
- Call to Mind: Immigration and the Challenge to Belong (Tradeoffs)
