Consulting Services & Qualifications

Arundel Community Development Services, Inc. (ACDS) is a private, nonprofit corporation established to create and retain affordable housing opportunities and to ensure the efficient delivery of community development services to those most in need.

Our years of experience managing housing, community development, and energy programs have made ACDS experts in affordable housing financing, project and construction management, grant administration and adhering to federal and state finance and regulating requirements.

ACDS is governed by an eleven member Board of Directors and led by a Chief Executive Officer with over 20 years of experience in the field. Along with a seasoned management team with over 55 years combined experience, ACDS employs 32 full-time staff members who work together to carry out our mission as well as provide consulting and technical services to other government and nonprofit organizations pursuing their vision for vibrant communities.

Please contact us at 410-222-7600, ext. 110 or info@acdsinc.org to inquire about ACDS consulting services or read on to learn more about our specific qualifications:

Grant Writing and Administration

ACDS contracts with local governments to apply for and administer federal housing and community development program funding. Sources include the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program, Housing for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program, and the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.

The professional planning staff of ACDS are experts in the following:

Consolidated, Annual Action and CAPER Plans through the new e-Con planning system
Affirmatively furthering fair housing
The environmental review process, 2 CFR Part 200
Continuum of Care Program process and regulations
Grant writing for other federal NOFA applications and various State funding sources
Establishing and implementing monitoring and reporting processes

Property Development and Management

Utilizing a variety of funding sources, including Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds, State Community Legacy Fund, ACDS actively works as a nonprofit developer to acquiring distressed homes in targeted neighborhood revitalization areas and rehabilitating them for eventual sale or rent to income eligible households. ACDS also develops newly constructed units as affordable homeownership opportunities. ACDS actively manages a portfolio of over 55 residential rental units, while ensuring tenants meet current income eligibility requirements as required by project funding sources.

Our experience also includes developing and rehabilitating community facilities, including community centers, health centers, and group homes. Our staff includes experts who are adept at land acquisition and site development financing and construction management side.

Financial Analysis and Underwriting

The Housing Finance Division of ACDS brings extensive experience in underwriting single family loans and managing housing programs benefiting low and moderate income households. They are experts in reviewing source documentation to determine clients’ income eligibility, packaging loans for households participating in the property rehabilitation and closing cost and down payment assistance programs and providing one-on-one credit repair counseling through our Homeownership Counseling and Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Programs. As a CDBG and HOME loan provider, we have extensive experience underwriting loans to developers of multi-family rental projects and group homes, conducting environmental reviews and processing legal documents in accordance with applicable federal and State requirements.

Residential Rehabilitation

The Construction Division of ACDS has a broad background managing residential property rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. Our Construction Specialists utilize well-established policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal requirements, including floodplain management, identification of code and safety deficiencies, mitigation of hazardous site conditions, Section 106 compliance, and lead-based paint hazard reduction. They produce consistent, detailed work write-ups and cost estimates, procure contractors, and effectively manage the construction process. We currently manage property rehabilitation programs for both the City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County governments.

Energy Services

ACDS is Anne Arundel County’s lead agency for reducing energy consumption and costs for both County government and individual homeowners while decreasing our carbon footprint and fueling the creation of green collar jobs. ACDS developed the County’s Implementation Plan for Achieving Energy Efficiency and Conservation in 2013, which establishes an energy usage baseline inventory for County facilities and sets energy efficiency and renewable energy goals, and has worked with a variety of County stakeholders to implement strategies to meet those goals. Also, our staff who are certified energy auditors, are experienced at helping homeowners make energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements.

Learn more about ACDS’ experience with Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programs here.

Program Administration

ACDS directly operates homeownership and foreclosure prevention counseling programs, a property rehabilitation program, an accessibility modifications program, single family acquisition and rehabilitation programs, and a down payment and closing cost assistance program.

Financial Processes and Record Keeping

ACDS is proud to say that all of the audits issued for the Corporation during the last 20 years have been “unqualified” with no findings, questioned costs or any disallowed costs. ACDS has also ensured that the County has met, and in many cases exceeded, its expenditure deadlines for all of the various funding sources.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Efforts

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

ACDS was responsible for the management and oversight of Anne Arundel County’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, as funded by the federal Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The County’s $4,463,400 award was utilized to fund programs and projects that reduced the energy usage and fossil fuel emissions and improved energy efficiency. Through the EECBG Program, ACDS formalized the County’s Strategic Plan for Energy Efficiency and Conservation and successfully completed several single and multi-family energy efficiency retrofit projects benefitting low income County residents. ACDS also managed the installation of the County first ground source geothermal heat pump system at its Pascal Senior Center and oversaw the planning and development of a methane gas to electricity project at the County’s Millersville Landfill.

Weatherization

Through partnerships with Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the Maryland Energy Administration, ACDS has weatherized over 500 single family, apartments and group homes utilizing funding made available through the State of Maryland EmPOWER Clean Energy Communities Low-to-Moderate Income Grant Program and the federally funded Weatherization Assistance Program. These weatherization activities result in direct energy and utility cost savings, thus, enabling recipients to utilize this savings in other areas within their budgets.

Maryland Smart Energy Communities Program

Through the Maryland Smart Energy Communities Program, as administered by the Maryland Energy Administration, ACDS is leading the effort to reduce energy consumption and to seek additional opportunities for affordable and reliable renewable energy development for the operation of County building and facilities. Recent projects have included energy efficiency retrofits at four County Senior Centers and the installation of 34 kW rooftop photovoltaic at the Fire Department Headquarters and solar thermal systems at several fire stations.

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