Photo courtesy Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s UPLIFT program was recently recognized by the National Council of State Housing Agencies at its 2024 annual conference.
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s UPLIFT Program Receives National Honor
DHCD’s initiative to close the appraisal gap in Maryland’s disinvested communities recognized by the National Council of State Housing Agencies
By PRESS OFFICER
Maryland DHCD
New Carrollton, Md. (Oct. 28, 2024)—The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s UPLIFT program, which is designed to help close the appraisal gap that now blocks essential investments in the state’s historically redlined communities, was recently recognized by the National Council of State Housing Agencies at its 2024 annual conference.
Established in 1984,
NCSHA’s Annual Awards for Program Excellence identify and elevate industry best practices and encourage continued Housing Finance Agency innovation. Member HFAs are eligible to submit initiatives for consideration in seven categories: Communications, Homeownership, Legislative Advocacy, Management Innovation, Rental Housing, Special Achievement, and Special Needs Housing.
DHCD’s Utilizing Progressive Lending Investments to Finance Transformation (UPLIFT) program took top honors in NCSHA’s Homeownership: Encouraging New Construction category.
NCSHA noted contest jurors recognized Maryland DHCD’s UPLIFT program for its “holistic and innovative” approach: utilizing progressive lending investments to increase property values and provide wealth-building homeownership opportunities for targeted households by accelerating the pace of development, construction, and sale of quality affordable housing in low-income census tracts and in designated communities. The program addresses issues including energy, critical repairs, and vacant properties to help close the appraisal gap that occurs in historically redlined areas.
“UPLIFT is an important tool in our efforts to revitalize Maryland’s disinvested communities,” said Secretary Jake Day. “We’re honored that the program, and the help it provides to the people in our state, was recognized by the National Council of State Housing Agencies.”
UPLIFT was announced by Governor Wes Moore in 2023 and built on the department’s pilot Homeownership Works (HOW) program, which focused on two Maryland communities—Johnston Square in Baltimore and the Pine Street area in Cambridge.
The program focuses on two urgent Maryland priorities: Closing the gap in household wealth across racial categories and flowing capital into historically disinvested, redlined neighborhoods. UPLIFT does both by financing the construction of affordable single family, for-sale construction in clustered areas to elevate property values and thereby boost household wealth among homeowners in less well-off communities.
More information about DHCD’s winning entry can be found here:
https://www.ncsha.org/awards-category/homeownership/encouraging-new-construction/
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M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County Announces
Choreographer’s Showcase at Publick Playhouse
By PRESS OFFICER
M-NCPPC
RIVERDALE, Md. (Oct. 30, 2024)—The 41st Annual Choreographer's Showcase will take place on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 7 p.m. at the Publick Playhouse in Cheverly, MD. Presented by the M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County—the Showcase is celebrating over four decades of innovation and creativity, and the work of both emerging and established choreographers from across the DMV.
As one of the longest-running showcases of its kind, the Choreographer's Showcase has become a vital platform for artists to present their unique voices and visions. Each performance is carefully selected by panel, ensuring a dynamic and diverse program that highlights the very best in contemporary dance.
This year’s lineup features an exciting array of talent, including Ryan Bailey, Jamie Chen, Madeline Maxine Gorman, William Nash, Angel Ramirez, Dr. Janaki Rangarajan, Eric Rivera, Malcolm Shute, Connor Voss, and Zoe Cushman Walders. Performances were selected by an esteemed group of adjudicators, including Sara Pearson (University of Maryland), Vincent Thomas (Towson University) and Patrik Widrig (University of Maryland).
The Choreographer’s Showcase not only promotes artistic expression but also fosters community engagement and appreciation for the art of dance. Attendees can expect an evening filled with mesmerizing performances that push the boundaries of movement and storytelling.
Tickets for the Choreographer’s Showcase can be purchased at pgparks.com. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the creativity and talent that the dance community has to offer. Join us on November 9 at the Publick Playhouse for a night of inspiration and artistic celebration!
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Prince George’s County Libraries Celebrate Native American and Indigenous Peoples Month This November
By Nestor A. Diaz
PGCMLS
LARGO, Md. (Oct. 31, 2024)—This November, the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) is celebrating Native American and Indigenous Peoples Month with a wide range of programming for all ages, including STEM events, book discussions, and craft programs that highlight the rich heritage, diverse cultures, and significant contributions of Native and Indigenous communities.
STEM Events (Ages 5–12)
• Wednesday, November 13 at 6 p.m., STEM for Families: Native American and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month, New Carrollton Branch Library
• Tuesday, November 19 at 4:30 p.m., STEM-tastic: Maya Math Games, Greenbelt Branch Library
• Tuesday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m., STEM for Families: Native American Symbolism – Turtles, Largo-Kettering Branch Library
• Thursday, November 21 at 4 p.m., STEM for Families: Iroquois Wampum Coding, Beltsville Branch Library
Book Discussions (Adults)
• Wednesday, November 13 at 6 p.m.: “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen” by Beth Dooley and Sean Sherman, Surratts-Clinton Branch Library
• Wednesday, November 13 at 7 p.m.: “Never Whistle at Night: an Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore Van Alst Jr., Virtual Event
• Tuesday, November 19 at 6:30 pm: Solidarity Stories: Community Led Book Discussion—“Never Whistle at Night: an Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology,” Mixt Food Hall
• Tuesday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m.: “Blood Sisters” by Vanessa Lillie, Virtual Event
Craft Programs for Kids
• Tuesday, November 12 at 4 p.m., Crafternoon: Pinch and Coil Pots, Glenarden Branch Library
• Wednesday, November 20 at 4 p.m., Crafternoon: Woven Baskets, Hillcrest Heights Branch Library
• Wednesday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m., Kids Create: Woven Baskets, South Bowie Branch Library
• Saturday, November 30 at 11 a.m., Ready 2 Read Art: Ages 3–5—Native American and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month, Bowie Branch Library
Craft Programs for Adults
• Thursday, November 14 at 1 p.m., Craft and Create: Native American Inspired Sandpainting, Bowie Branch Library
• Tuesday, November 26 at 5 p.m., Craft and Create: Adult Coloring, Upper Marlboro Branch Library,
PGCMLS is also offering Native American and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month Ready 2 Read Storytimes for toddlers and preschoolers! Kids will experience engaging stories, lively songs, and interactive fingerplays. Ready 2 Read storytimes are fun-filled events that foster a love for reading and learning. Search for Ready 2 Read Storytime on www.pgcmls.info for storytime locations and times.
To see all Native American and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month events, visit pgcmls.info/native-american-indigenous-peoples-heritage.
The Library invites community members to visit the Native American and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Hub for access to book lists, a timeline of important dates in Native American and Indigenous Peoples history, a calendar of library events, and viewing recommendations for streaming platforms, such as Kanopy and Hoopla, that are available with your library card.
Learn more by visiting: www.pgcmls.info/native-american-indigenous-peoples-heritage
The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) helps customers discover and define opportunities that shape their lives. The Library serves the residents of Prince George’s County through 19 branch libraries, a 24/7 online library, the County Correctional Center Library, and pop-up services throughout the community. Learn more at pgcmls.info/about-us.
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TSA Announces Final Rule That Enables the Continued Acceptance of Mobile Driver’s Licenses at Airport Security Checkpoints and Federal Buildings
Rule allows for continued use of mobile driver’s licenses for identity verification in support of REAL ID enforcement, which starts on May 7, 2025
By PRESS OFFICER
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
WASHINGTON (Oct. 24, 2024)—Consistent with the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) efforts to enhance the passenger experience, TSA published a final rule in the Federal Register that would allow passengers to continue using mobile driver’s licenses (mDL) for identity verification at TSA airport security checkpoints once REAL ID enforcement begins on May 7, 2025.
The final rule, effective November 25, 2024, allows states to apply to TSA for a temporary waiver of certain REAL ID requirements written in the REAL ID regulations. Once approved, those state mDLs will continue to be accepted at TSA airport security checkpoints. TSA will publish on its website a list of states where mDLs are approved for federal acceptance. After emerging industry standards and federal guidelines are finalized, TSA intends to issue a future rulemaking to set more comprehensive requirements for mDLs that will eventually replace the waiver provisions established by this rule.
An mDL is a digital representation of a state-issued physical driver’s license that is typically installed through an application on the user’s smartphone and stored in a digital wallet, similar to how many users currently store their physical credit cards on their smartphones. The information from the digital wallet is read after the smartphone is either tapped against an mDL reader or scanned under the reader to establish the validity of the mDL and a person’s identity.
TSA currently accepts mDLs issued by 11 states at 27 participating airports and has a goal of accepting mDLs in all airports, by expanding the technology nationwide. These states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Utah.
For more information on REAL ID, visit TSA.gov/real-id. For more information about TSA’s use of digital identification, visit TSA.gov/digital-id.
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