Olszewski, county commit $8 million to convert Days Inn into affordable housing

Lock Haven Overlook is one of Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski’s final affordable housing initiatives as Baltimore County executive. He submitted his resignation, effective Jan. 3, when he will be sworn into Congress. Karl Merton Ferron/Staff

Baltimore County is allocating $8 million to help purchase a troubled Days Inn at Joppa Road and Loch Raven Boulevard, which will be converted into affordable housing units, according to the office of County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.

The project, called Loch Raven Overlook, will consist of a 122-unit property in Towson. Of those, 115 units will count toward Baltimore County’s Voluntary Compliance Agreement to support and incentivize the creation of 1,000 affordable rental housing “hard units” — units created through new construction, rehabilitation, acquisition or existing housing stock — by the end of 2027.

The development is one of Olszewski’s final affordable housing initiatives as Baltimore County executive. He submitted his resignation, effective Jan. 3, when he will be sworn into Congress. Baltimore County Administrative Officer D’Andrea Walker will serve as interim executive.

“We are all in to change — and improve — the housing paradigm in Baltimore County, and this is yet another example of a strategic partnership that will deliver high-quality, affordable housing with great access to schools and parks, jobs and transit,” Olszewski said in a statement.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2026.

Baltimore County will provide $8 million in American Rescue Plan funding from its Housing Opportunities Fund for the project. The Community Assistance Network will use the funding as a grant to acquire the property.

The project also benefited from state assistance through a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and funding from its Strategic Demolition Fund.

The development will consist of two buildings — one with 72 units and one with 50 units. The 72-unit building will include 33 one-bedroom units preserved at 60% of the area’s median income. The 50-unit structure will have units with up to three bedrooms, preserved at up to 60% of the area’s median income for 40 years.

There are five candidates in the running to replace Olszewski as executive: State Sen. Jim Brochin; Yara Cheikh, president of the Baltimore County Public Library Board of Trustees; State Sen. Katherine Klausmeier; George Perdikakis, former head of Baltimore County’s Department of Environment and Resource Management; and Barry Williams, former director of Baltimore County recreation and parks and workforce development.

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