The Kittleman Administration Leads The Way
“We want everyone in Howard County to enjoy the tremendous quality of life we have here. To achieve this, I am committed to creating an effective and coordinated delivery of services for all residents, especially supporting vulnerable individuals, the aging population and people with disabilities.
We also are working hard to increase treatment options for residents with substance use disorder and behavioral health problems.”
— County Executive Allan H. Kittleman
Allan Kittleman has made County Government more effective, efficient, and accessible to our most vulnerable neighbors.
Since taking office in 2014, the Kittleman Administration:
- Built the Community Resources Campus
- Brought Affordable Housing to Downtown Columbia
- Made measurable progress in the fight against the Opioid Epidemic in Howard County
- Made more tax relief available to more Howard County seniors than ever before
….and he is only getting started.
Community Resources Campus
After taking office in late 2014, County Executive Allan H. Kittleman has focused considerable energy and resources on improving the delivery of human services in the county.
He started the process by reorganizing the Department of Community Services and Resources, paying special attention to the needs of the county’s aging population, veterans, people with disabilities, victims of violent crime, such as human trafficking, and children and families in need of additional support.
Allan then turned his attention to the nonprofit sector, and an idea that had been discussed in the county for more than 20 years but never brought to fruition.
Working with nonprofit leaders, the County Council and others, Kittleman brought the idea of having a nonprofit center to fruition by finding an appropriate location in Columbia and allocating county funds to support a 10-year lease for the center.
In April 2017, the NonProfit Collaborative of Howard County opened its door with 16 nonprofit agencies sharing a building in one central location.
Making a Difference One Person at a Time
Just months after opening, Kittleman observed the success of the NonProfit Collaborative, frequently telling the story of a woman who came to the center seeking services for her son with autism.
Staff members noted that the woman showed signs of being abused and were able to walk her across the lobby that day to meet with staff at HopeWorks to address the many difficult issues she faced.
Community Resources Campus
Kittleman determined to make a good idea even better when he decided to create the Community Resources Campus (CRC) in the same Columbia location as the NonProfit Collaborative.
Through the CRC – the first of its kind in the state — the Kittleman Administration is reinventing the way human services are delivered in Howard County.
In July, the county’s Department of Community Resources and Services, Department of Housing and Community Development, Office of Human Rights and the Community Action Council relocated to two buildings on the campus off Patuxent Woods Drive in central Columbia.
The Howard County Department of Social Services – a state agency – will relocate to two buildings on the campus in early 2019.
Real Solutions: Transportation
In addition to moving the offices, Kittleman has added RTA bus stops within the campus and called for a connectivity plan to allow residents to walk easily from one location to another within the campus.
When completed, the campus will be a central location where residents can access county and state agencies, as well as nonprofits offering human services.
Kittleman’s new model will be a one-stop shop, providing services from housing support to energy and food assistance to services for children, the elderly, people with disabilities and veterans.
The campus model also improves coordination and collaboration among human service agencies, allowing them to share conference and training rooms, office equipment and other resources.
Touring the new Community Resources Campus. This campus will serve as a central location where both public & private human services organizations can be accessed. Meeting w/ @HoCoCAC, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Office of Human Rights. #HoCoMD pic.twitter.com/ZmfdmTYAp6
— Allan H. Kittleman (@HoCoGovExec) July 17, 2018
The campus, a hub of agencies for those seeking services such as housing assistance and consumer protection, is Kittleman’s answer to what he has said is a need for a central location for help. https://t.co/2I6Ry2Xx6W
— Howard County Times (@HoCoTimes) July 2, 2018



@HoCoGovExec Allan Kittleman: Housing plan before Co Council now has unprecedented support from a coalition of community partners
— Midday with Tom Hall (@MiddayWYPR) July 6, 2016
In a 4-1 vote, planning board approves Kittleman admin affordable housing plan, including 40-year draft agreement for Columbia. #hocomd
— Fatimah Waseem (@fatimahwaseem) May 11, 2016
Affordable housing in Downtown Columbia
County Executive Allan H. Kittleman made affordable housing a priority for the redevelopment of Downtown Columbia by introducing legislation in 2016 to guarantee the inclusion of at least 900 affordable housing units throughout the downtown area.
Creating the plan required collaboration among county government, non-profit organizations and the private sector, developing a public-private partnership among the Howard County Housing Commission, the Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation (CDHC), The Howard Hughes Corporation and the Howard County Executive’s Office.
The plan incorporates a full spectrum of housing options, with affordable units for low and middle income families. It will make full use of federal, state and local resources – such as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program (LIHTC), the largest affordable housing finance program in the country.
Kittleman said providing a full spectrum of housing options is in keeping with Columbia’s goal of diversity and inclusion, will provide housing for a diverse labor force in the immediate vicinity of job opportunities and supports economic development by providing workforce housing.



Fighting the Opioids Crisis
Like other communities across the nation, Howard County has been impacted by the devastating opioids crisis.
The Kittleman Administration has responded by increasing services and diversifying the approach to fighting the crisis, from equipping county buildings with the life-saving drug
Grassroots Partnership
In February, Kittleman announced a new partnership between the Howard County Health Department and the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center to provide substance use screenings and referrals to treatment at the crisis center seven days a week.
Under the new agreement, the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center now provides in-person screenings to adults, youth and families dealing with substance misuse.
Counselors screen clients using “Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment” (SBIRT), an evidence-based method that identifies individuals at risk, links them to treatment services and assists in removing barriers to treatment and recovery.
In addition to walk-in crisis assistance, Kittleman has:
- Created the Howard County Opioid Crisis Community Council to assist with reviewing current efforts and identifying new opportunities to address opioid misuse;
- Partnered with the Aetna Foundation in a unique partnership to equip AED boxes in county buildings with life-saving naloxone kits and train county employees in the use of the drug in an overdose situation;
- Worked with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) to create a “leave-behind” program to distribute naloxone kits to residents who have experienced an overdose;
- Directed HCDFRS to erect signs at county fire stations reporting on overdoses in the county to increase awareness of the crisis with the public;
- Added new positions to focus on battling the crisis, including an Opioids Coordinator at the county’s Police Department and Opioids Manager at the Health Department.
- Howard County, like other jurisdictions, is pursuing litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors to seek reimbursement for the considerable costs incurred by the county to fight the opioids crisis.
Launched a county website, HoCoOpioidHelp.com, with information about services and resources available in the county;
Kittleman Administration Announces Heroin Coordinator Position - Allan Kittleman for Howard County Executive https://t.co/xcKvUTePxY #HoCoMD
— Steve Sager (@Steven_Sager) September 30, 2016
.@HoCoGovExec Kittleman is hosting a Town Hall focusing on Health Care tomorrow night. Topics include combating the opioid epidemic pic.twitter.com/6mWUWA5hwP
— Howard Co Health Dep (@HoCoHealth) September 25, 2017
HCHD joined County Executive Kittleman and representatives from Aetna today in announcing a partnership to place Narcan kits in county buildings.
— Howard Co Health Dep (@HoCoHealth) December 12, 2017
If you live in Howard County and need help with an opioid use disorder, call 800-422-0009 for 24/7 support #HoCoHelp pic.twitter.com/Hchvz9zVvc



Leola Dorsey Day Resource Center
Last Fall, the county opened the new Leola Dorsey Day Resource Center in Jessup, serving the county’s most vulnerable residents.
The new center offers clients many services to help them move ahead with their lives, such as meals, clothing, medical care, mental health and substance misuse assessments, personal hygiene and laundry facilities, computer access, skills training, support in enrolling for needed benefits, assistance with obtaining necessary documents, and connections to various human services programs.
This unique, three-story facility also incorporates 35 efficiency apartments on the second and third floors to fill a gap in the county’s housing stock for chronically homeless people.
It is our hope that this approach will help put individuals on a path to self-sufficiency.” Allan Kittleman



Kittleman makes more tax relief available to more seniors.
Shortly after Allan H. Kittleman’s election as County Executive, the county completed a comprehensive master plan focused on supporting older adults.
The plan, “Creating an Age-Friendly Community,” provides a roadmap for county services over next 20 years to help the county’s seniors age in place.
No. of Seniors Eligible for Tax Relief in 2014
No. of Seniors Eligible for Tax Relief Under Allan Kittleman
- Percent of Howard County Population Aged 65+ in 2010 10%
- Percent of Howard County population aged 65+ predicted in 2025 18%
- Percent of Howard County population aged 65+ predicted in 2035 22%
Initiatives undertaken by the Kittleman Administration to date include:
- Expanded the Senior Tax Credit by reducing eligibility from age 70 to 65, expanding the potential number of county property owners who could qualify based on age from 26,000 to more than 40,000.
- Created the Aging-in-Place Tax Credit, providing a 20 percent tax credit on up to $500,000 of assessed property value. This credit can be granted for up to five years.
- Funded increased hours of operation at the county’s 50+ centers in the FY 19 operating budget.
- Opened a new 50+ center in Elkridge in March 2018 with expanded services, hours and new fitness facility.
- Accelerated funding in the FY 2019 capital budget to move up construction of a replacement 50+ center for East Columbia from 2021 to 2020.
- Created the Community Resources Campus making it easier to access services from county, state and nonprofit providers in one location.
- Expanded the Loan Closet hours of operation from 6 to 20 hours per week, including evening and weekend hours. Also, Allan expanded the type of equipment accepted to include electric wheelchairs, scooters, stair glides and ramps.
- Reworking public transportation system and bus routes to improve mobility for those without cars or who do not drive and allowing seniors and people with disabilities to ride RTA buses for free starting in July 2018.
- Created Reinvest*Renovate*Restore program to provide low-interest loans to help homeowners make necessary repairs.
In 2017, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman announced applications are being accepted for the County's Senior Tax Credit and new Aging-in-Place Tax Credit. These tax credit provide important assistance for seniors to age in place and continue to call Howard County home. pic.twitter.com/hIem8Wx3PE
— Allan Kittleman (@AKittleman) May 15, 2018
New Howard fitness program offers all-access gym pass to seniors: Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman unve... https://t.co/wzmDQiSqZp
— Petula Alicia (@Trinamgold) December 14, 2015