Maryland housing agency to move offices

For the first time, Maryland's second-largest county will be home to a state government office.

The Department of Housing and Community Development will move offices from Anne Arundel County to Prince George's, announced Governor Martin O'Malley. The relocation will transplant "an agency dedicated to revitalizing communities to an area of our state that is rich in history and diversity," said the governor.

Previously, the agency had been located in a wooded area in Crownsville, but the move will place it near a Metro station at a location yet to be determined. About 330 workers will be affected, and county officials hope that many choose to move their families into the area, as well.

"The governor's initiative will bring jobs to a Metro station, and that will spur retail and residential development," county official Kwasi Holman told the Washington Post.

The county has tried and failed to encourage development around its 15 Metro stations for years. Bringing in a government agency could provide the area with a much-needed catalyst to spur development after years of hightened foreclosure activity, officials told the Post.

Prince George's County leads the state in foreclosure filings, with over 1,300 reported in April, according to real estate website RealtyTrac.com.

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