2022 Year in Review
SPRING
Worker’s Rights and Core Teams
Following the re-launch of our Countywide Action Team in the fall of 2021, we began this year by strengthening our core teams within our institutions. We listened, hosted half a dozen relational meeting trainings, and recruited new leaders. Core teams are a key part of healthy organizing. They allow us to disperse information and be truly democratic so that all institutions can give informed consent before we take action together. Simultaneously, we put these values into practice by working with the Unite Here Local 7 Union to get the County Council to pass emergency legislation to protect workers’ rights. About 20 leaders doorknocked in the freezing cold and collected over 50 postcards raising awareness about CB-10, a bill meant to require all employers to offer anyone laid off due to the pandemic the first chance to return to their job. Although the bill passed, it was ultimately watered down by an amendment that exempted contractors, meaning the Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel owner could contract out employees and avoid giving jobs back to the workers who were let go due to COVID. We won jobs for many, but the fight for the Merriweather workers still continues and we encourage you all to maintain the boycott until all hotel workers are able to return to their job.
We officially separated from the Industrial Areas Foundation to forge a new PATH and explore participation in another burgeoning national network centered on justice, equity, and inclusion.
Additionally, we sent 220 letters to the Council encouraging them to keep the $5 million in the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund, the funding for the new Central Library, and the $6 million for the New Cultural Center construction without putting them into contingency. We were successful in achieving two out of three and will be testifying this coming year to ensure the construction of the new Library and the affordable housing attached to it stays on schedule. PATH leaders worked with the County Executive’s office, Councilmembers, and other key stakeholders to win on these issues, while also keeping the development of affordable housing at the Banneker Fire Station site on track when it was in danger of being delayed.
SUMMER
Primary Elections
Throughout the spring, we prepared for the primary and general elections by working with other Statewide leaders from ACT and AIM. We held three successful virtual actions in June with primary candidates for Governor, Comptroller, and Attorney General of MD and District 4 Councilmembers. Our leaders developed questions about the issues directly affecting us and our community, strategized on how to ‘pin’ politicians, and turned out over 500 people total to all the actions! We raised awareness about the importance of our local elections, especially for the school board.
FALL
Affordable Housing, Climate Justice, and General Election
After our successful actions in the primary elections, our leaders kept up the energy for the general election. We gathered with our Statewide partners to plan an action with Gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore and Comptroller candidate Brooke Lierman. Our leaders pulled out all the stops to confirm the candidates’ attendance and we gathered a momentous turnout. We had performances from a youth choir, a poet from Arts on the Block, and over 645 people (between Zoom and in person) representing our communities’ interests. Both candidates agreed to work with us on our most pressing issues: safe affordable housing, environmental protection, and universal pre-K. We’re looking forward to holding them to these commitments when they take office.
In September, we also began exploring a campaign to reduce our reliance on dirty energy sources, including methane (“natural” gas). The use of methane for heating and in stoves causes respiratory illness (some estimates are that over 12% of asthma is caused by gas stoves) and releases methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, into our atmosphere.
electrification in Howard County. Some of our members highlighted the potential impact that switching from gas heat to electricity could have on Maryland’s climate goals. Our affiliate Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) was measuring methane leaks around the District and NO2 levels in homes as a result of burning gas. We decided to do similar research for ourselves, taking in-home measurements and training leaders to use the detecting devices. We saw scary high levels of NO2 and collaborated with Our Housing Action Team met monthly to learn more about affordable housing policy and strategize the best approach for increasing access to affordable housing throughout the County. Right now we have an opportunity to encourage the General Plan, HoCo By Design, to prioritize several strategies that would increase different types of affordable housing, increase transit options, and make our county more walkable and livable. This could help us to reach some of our bold goals for affordable housing so that people can thrive at every age and every stage in Howard County, as well as reduce our carbon footprint.
COMING UP
2023 General Plan & Statewide/National Network
In December, two of our brilliant leaders testified at the County Executive’s first budget hearing for 2024 and shared their stories demonstrating the urgent need for more affordable housing. This year, we plan to continue testifying in support of affordable housing developments, specifically when it comes to tailoring HoCo By Design.
Finally, after such successful collaborations working on Statewide issues, we hope to continue working at that level with our sister organizations, ACT and AIM. We will be co-creating a new national network, developing our own training, and forging ahead formidably to build power in Howard County and beyond.
