Luminus Testifies to Howard County Council on Library and Affordable Housing
Oral Testimony in Support of CR 223-2025 and CB 69-2025
Delivered on November 19, 2025, Howard County Hearing
Update Dec 2, 2025: Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has announced the Howard County Council has approved his two pieces of legislation – Council Resolution 223-2025 and Council Bill 69-2025, to advance affordable housing and begin the planning and design process of a new Howard County Library System Central Branch in Downtown Columbia.
To learn more, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/News120225.
Good evening, members of the Council. My name is Tina Horn, and I am the chief external affairs officer of the Luminus Network, a 45-year-old Howard County institution that provides legal services to our county’s and our region’s immigrant and refugee populations. For 25 years, I’ve had the profound privilege of living, serving, and working right here in Howard County, and I’m here tonight because this community, and the people who dream of calling it home, are deeply important.
Tonight, I am privileged to speak on behalf of the thousands of immigrants and refugees we have served at Luminus, individuals who come to our community, some at great risk, from over 90 nations seeking safety, opportunity, the chance to build a better life for themselves and their children, and a place to belong. Those same things that all of us want. But I also speak as a member of this community who believes, with all my heart, that our greatness must be measured by how we treat one another.
In our work at Luminus, we see the human cost of Howard County’s housing crisis every single day. I see it in the eyes of the father working two jobs who still can’t afford a decent apartment for his family. I hear it in the voice of a mom who tells us she and her children have to share a single room with another family, just to keep a roof over their heads. These neighbors serve us in our restaurants, by caring compassionately for our sick and our elderly, and, most importantly, enriching our community with their culture and hard work. Our immigrant neighbors are not just people who serve us, are they? They are also whole people with whole lives and their own human dignity. They are people, like you and me, who dance, sing, and tell stories, laugh, and love their children, tell them to do their homework, and argue with their spouses and family over dumb stuff. They are our neighbors. They are your neighbors. They are us and we are them. And we are suffering. We are sometimes living in conditions that most of us would find unimaginable, simply because the community we serve has not made room for us.
This isn’t just an observation; it’s a crisis that’s been validated by our own state leaders. A recent report from the Maryland Comptroller’s Office sounds the alarm, showing that Maryland is losing residents at a staggering rate because of housing costs. We are in the top ten states for people moving away. Think about that. We are becoming a place people must leave, not a place they can aspire to join. In another report the Comptroller issued in April 2024, the data demonstrated that inbound international immigration is what saved the Maryland economy and kept us from losing population. That population is necessary for federal dollar allocations, Congressional representative count, and more. Howard County’s population is more than 20% foreign born. How long can that continue if we do not make our welcoming community also affordable?
Tonight, you have a powerful opportunity to change that story. By passing CR 223 and CB 69, you do more than just approve a land deal or a budget amendment. You cast a vote for hope. You take a concrete step to build a community that lives up to its ideals, that walks its talk. This legislation will pave the way for at least 320 mixed income homes, giving hundreds of families a fair shot at a stable life in a place with good jobs and a bright future. Your vote says, “we want you here” and “you belong.” Your vote says bring your dances and your food and your songs and your stories and your laughter here.
And the impact doesn’t stop there. The vision for a new Central Library is nothing short of transformational. For the immigrant families Luminus works with, the library is so much more than a building with books. It is a holy place. It is a gateway to opportunity. It’s where a mother can learn English in community, where’s she’s not alone, unlocking new possibilities for her entire family. It’s a safe, inspiring place where a child can do their homework with their new school buddies and dream of becoming a doctor or an engineer or an actress or a football star or a teacher or an entrepreneur or speaking bravely at the Simulated Congressional Hearings. A library is a vibrant community center where people from all walks of life can connect, learn from one another, and feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.
I’ve learned that good intentions are not enough. We must follow them with bold, decisive action. This is our moment to act. This is our chance to build a Howard County that is more inclusive, more compassionate, and more just for everyone.
Let’s build those homes. Let’s build that library. Let’s build a future where every single person who contributes to our community has the opportunity to thrive within it. I implore you to pass this legislation and send a clear message that in Howard County, you are welcome, and we care about your existence. Thank you.