Hogan says housing secretary will stay on the job

But a spokesman said the official will remain on the job after 30 lawmakers called for his resignation.

” Secretary Holt is committed to working with advocates, legislators, and families to move forward, rebuild trust, and strengthen the already-strong record DHCD has on this important issue”.

Doug Mayer, another Hogan spokesman, confirmed the meeting between Hogan and Holt.

Holt apologized for his comments after they came to light.

Mayer says Hogan has directed Holt to continue reaching out to advocates and lawmakers to reassure them of his commitment to the health of state residents.

He added that he believed Holt can effectively run the department.

Maryland’s housing chief has suggested that parents might deliberately poison their children with lead in order to secure housing benefits. “And if that child and mother live in a Maryland residence, that landlord is on the hook to provide housing for that child until the age of 18 with unlimited liability”.

“Your remarks betray a surprising and full lack of knowledge of Maryland regulation because it pertains to a landlord’s duty to offer rental property freed from lead”, stated the letter. Andrew Platt of Montgomery County rounded up the signatures of about a third of the Democrats in the House of Delegates to call for Holt’s resignation. They are Delegates Clarence Lam and Eric Ebersole. Baltimore City Delegates Antonio Hayes, Jill Carter, Sandy Rosenberg, Mary Washington, Charles Sydnor, Cheryl Glenn, Cory McCray, Luke Clippinger and Brooke Lierman, all signed the letter.

The Governor’s Workplace and a spokeswoman for Holt have been despatched copies of the letter however had no quick remark. He stated his statements didn’t mirror administration coverage.

“He has never spoken to me or to the governor or anyone on the senior staff about that, so I have no idea where that came from”, Rutherford said, noting that the administration has no plans to draft legislation to limit landlord liability in lead paint cases.

Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford publicly rebuked Department of Housing and Community Development Sec.

He later said that he had no evidence of anyone ever doing that but that developers had shared the anecdote with him and, according to the Sun, he thought it was sufficient reason to change lead-paint poisoning laws.