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Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation

EIN 46-1508330 · Columbia, MD

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceGood75 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO MAKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AVAILABLE TO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.

Income
$459,008
Spending
$130,504
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
Over 10 years of spending
Largest source of income
investment income, 86%
Employees
0
Volunteers
0

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (housing, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover more than ten years of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 72% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 14% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (housing, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $61,096 spent. CDHC WORKS WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION (THE "COUNTY"), THE HOWARD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ("HRD"), AND HOWARD COUNTY HOUSING COMMISSION (THE "COMMISSION") TO IMPLEMENT THE VARIOUS OBJECTIVES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA, MARYLAND. THESE FOUR PARTIES, CDHC, HRD, THE COMMISSION, AND THE COUNTY, ENTERED INTO A LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WRITTEN AGREEMENT TITLED "AGREEMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA" ( 4-PARTY AGREEMENT) ON FEBRUARY 3, 2017, WHICH IS TO BE READ IN CONFORMITY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AGREEMENT ("DRRA") EXECUTED BY THE COUNTY AND HRD ON THAT SAME DATE. IN 2024, SIX (6) VERY LOW INCOME HOUSING UNITS (VLIU) AT MARLOW WERE MODIFIED TO BE FULLY ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. CDHC PAID THE COST FOR THE MODIFICATIONS AND THE HOWARD COUNTY HOUSING COMMISSION (HCHC) IS LEASING THE UNITS. INCLUDING THESE 6 UNITS, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 54 INCLUSIONARY UNITS IN THE MERRIWEATHER DISTRICT; 24 AT JUNIPER AND 30 AT MARLOW. HALF OF THESE UNITS ARE LEASED TO PEOPLE WITH INCOMES AT OR BELOW 80% OF THE HOWARD COUNTY AREA MEDIAN INCOME (HCAMI), APPROXIMATELY $73,000 FOR A ONE-PERSON HOUSEHOLD IN 2024. THE OTHER HALF ARE LEASED TO VOUCHER HOLDERS OR PEOPLE WITH INCOMES AT OR BELOW 50% HCAMI. UNDER THE DRRA, CDHC SHALL USE ITS COMMERCIAL FEE REVENUE TO ASSIST THE COMMISSION IN COVERING THE UTILITY COSTS FOR THE VLIUS. IN 2024, CDHC CONTINUED TO ASSIST IN COVERING THE UTILITY COSTS FOR THE VLIUS AT MARLOW AS WELL AS AT JUNIPER.
  2. $44,375 spent. THE DRRA REQUIRES HRD TO PROVIDE CDHC WITH AN AMOUNT INTENDED TO BE AT LEAST $7,775,000 TO SUPPORT A LIVE-WHERE-YOU-WORK PROGRAM ("LWYW") WITHIN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA, MD. CDHC HAS DEVELOPED A PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES RENTAL SUBSIDIES TO EMPLOYEES WHO RENT IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA, MD. THE SUBSIDIES ARE EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MARKET RENT FOR THE RENTAL UNIT AND THE LIHU RENT OR THE MIHU RENT FOR THE UNIT (BASED ON THE TENANT FAMILY INCOME). CDHC IMPLEMENTED THE LWYW RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN 2019. THE RESULT IS ENABLING LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS TO RENT AT BELOW MARKET RATES FOR UP TO 3 YEARS. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF THE LIVE WHERE YOU WORK PROGRAM: EMPLOYER/CDHC FUNDED LWYW PROGRAM (50/50) AND AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN / CDHC FUNDED LWYW PROGRAM (ARP). A TOTAL OF 19 EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BENEFITTED FROM LWYW. IN 2024, ONE NEW EMPLOYEE JOINED THE PROGRAM BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES ASSISTED IN 2024 TO TWELVE (12).
  3. THE DRRA DESIGNATES FIVE SITES IN DOWNTOWN TO BE DEVELOPED AS LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT ("LIHTC") PROJECTS. THE PROJECTS WILL BE LOCATED ON LAND OR IN AIR RIGHTS CONVEYED TO THE COMMISSION BY EITHER HRD OR THE COUNTY.ARTIST FLATS. PROGRESS WAS MADE IN 2024 DESPITE SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES AND ARTISTS FLATS CLOSED ON ITS FINANCING IN LATE DECEMBER 2024. CDHC DISBURSED $1.767 MILLION OF A TOTAL $3.5 MILLION LOAN COMMITMENT TO THE ARTISTS FLATS PROJECT IN DECEMBER. A GROUNDBREAKING IS ANTICIPATED IN THE SPRING OF 2025. BANNEKER FIRE STATION. THERE WERE REGULAR UPDATES TO CDHC ON THE STATUS OF THE LIHTC PROJECTS THROUGHOUT 2024. CDHC CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE 2025 BUDGET PROCESS AND AGAIN OFFERED TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF FUNDING FOR THE NORTH COLUMBIA FIRE STATION, THE NEW BANNEKER FIRE STATION AND OTHER LIHTC PROJECTS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 2014.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.