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Commitment To Excellence

The 2010 Commitment to Excellence Awards will be awarded to innovative projects, communities, and programs that illustrate DHCD’s mission to revitalize communities, encourage homeownership, and expand workforce housing opportunities for working families, seniors and individuals with disabilities.

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is committed to providing safe, clean, decent and affordable housing for all Marylanders. At the core of our mission, we strive to assist Maryland’s workforce, teachers, first responders (firefighters and police), young families, young professionals and first time homebuyers, achieve the dream of homeownership.

Who:

Individuals, nonprofits, businesses, and federal, state, and local agencies may submit nominations. Self-nominations are encouraged.

What:

Projects, communities, and programs located in Maryland and completed within the last four years are eligible. The categories for awards include:

• Rental Housing Sustainability
• Special Needs Housing
• Community Building
• Homeownership
• Small Business Development
• Partner of the Year

When:

The deadline for submitting Nominations online is midnight of September 20, 2010.

Call for Entries - Categories for Submission:

• Rental Housing Sustainability: Projects, individuals, or firms that have made a significant contribution to affordable rental housing through design, construction, management, or resident services. Quality design and construction, professional and effective management, and innovative and appropriate resident services ensure that housing financed by DHCD contributes positively to the lives of its residents and the communities in which the housing is located.
• Special Needs Housing: Programs or projects that address one of the following: permanent and transitional housing and service provision for the homeless, victims of domestic violence, persons with HIV/AIDS, persons with substance abuse disorders, or individuals with disabilities.
• Community Building: Programs, projects and communities that work to comprehensively serve community needs by addressing one of the following: downtown development and revitalization; capital assistance for nonprofit organizations; overall infrastructure needs that create, promote, and support the overall health, safety, and economic viability of the community.
• Homeownership: Programs or projects that encourage homeownership, such as empowering new buyers, home improvement and rehabilitations, homeownership counseling, or encouraging new production of workforce housing.
• Small Business Development: Businesses that have contributed to downtown development through: redevelopment of vacant or underutilized sites, micro enterprise, creative financing, or leverage of state dollars with private sector financing.
• Partner of the Year: Individuals or organizations that have served as catalysts to affect community and economic development or an economic rebound in the surrounding community or region through: work to respond to community needs; use of innovative and successful financing techniques; leverage of state dollars with private sector financing; partnerships forged with for-profit, non-profit and government agencies or programs; and demonstrated commitment to low-income neighborhoods through volunteer efforts.

Nomination Requirements

Each nomination must include a completed nomination form, executive summary, visual materials and budget information. Nominations must be submitted online in order to be considered.

Eligibility

All projects must be located in the State of Maryland and completed within the last four years. Individuals, nonprofit and for profit organizations, and federal, state and local governmental agencies are eligible. Nominations may be made without the knowledge of the nominee. Self-nominations are encouraged.

Nominations must include the following:

• 1. Nomination Form
• 2. Executive Summary
• 3. Visual Materials

Visual materials documenting the project, including at least three high quality digital photographs. Before and after images are encouraged.

Criteria

Nominations will be judged according to:

• Outstanding merit;
• Responsiveness to a housing or community revitalization need;
• Use of innovative and successful financing techniques and leveraging of funds;
• Effectiveness of partnerships with for profit and nonprofit organizations and other governmental agencies or programs;
• The project’s measurable benefits to residents and the increased health/wealth stability of the communities where they live, work, and play.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting Nominations online is midnight of September 20, 2010. Winners will be notified in writing by September 27, 2010.

For further information, please contact: