Prince George's Proud:
An Update From County Executive Alsobrooks
Dear Prince Georgians:
We are excited to share that our Youth@Work/Summer Youth Enrichment Program (SYEP) is now accepting applications for this summer. Prince George’s County youth ages 14 to 22 years who are interested in job readiness training and employment over the summer are strongly encouraged to apply to participate in the program. Applications will be accepted until Friday, March 31.
Youth@Work/SYEP is an award-winning, nationally recognized program that helps young people launch careers by providing them with free job readiness training and paid work experiences through job placements in the public, private, nonprofit, and faith-based sectors. The program offers our youth practical experience that will help guide them as they begin to build their own careers and focuses on other soft professional skills including punctuality, proper workplace attire, preparedness, and public speaking.
To assist youth with applying for the program, Youth@Work/SYEP is hosting a Summer Jobs Recruitment Event and Young Adult Job Fair on Saturday, March 11, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Langley Park Community Center. Eligible youth who are interested in learning more about available job opportunities are encouraged to attend the fair. Applicants ages 18 to 22 years will also have the opportunity to learn more about permanent and temporary entry-level positions that are available throughout our County Government. Register for this event here. We will be hosting a second job fair later this month, and we will be sure to keep you updated once details become available.
When I came into office, we doubled the size of SYEP from 3,000 summer jobs to more than 6,000, and we expanded the age range. Even with the challenges presented by the pandemic, we still continued to host this program, and last year we employed over 6,000 young people in job readiness training and summer employment opportunities. During my first term, I’m proud to say we hired over 17,000 youth in SYEP.
We are excited to be able to offer our youth a great number of opportunities to engage and learn during the summer break and encourage our young people to take advantage of all that this program has to offer. For more information about the program and to apply, visit the Youth@Work/SYEP website here.
Yours in service,
Angela Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive
Community Partner and Sponsor Reception
 The Office of the County Executive hosted a Community Partner and Sponsor Reception on Wednesday, February 15, to thank all of our community partners and sponsors who have supported our office over the past year. From ensuring our veterans are recognized for their service to ensuring our children have fun and engaging activities during the summer months, our community partners do so much to help us serve Prince Georgians, and this was just a small way we could say thank you for everything they do throughout the year.
2023 State of the Chamber Breakfast
 County Executive Alsobrooks joined local business leaders at the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 State of the Chamber Breakfast on Wednesday, February 15. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Chamber to ensure small and local businesses can grow and thrive in Prince George’s.
2023 Class Act
 On Wednesday, March 1, County Executive Alsobrooks was proud to join our Office of Community Relations and other partners to kick off the Class Act Initiative, providing our teachers with much-needed school supplies. The County Executive was able to surprise teachers at Suitland Elementary School with brand new school supplies! Many thanks to Coca-Cola, Staples, and other sponsors for helping us support our teachers and children.
Community Leadership Briefings
 The Office of the County Executive has rescheduled the second Blue Line Corridor and Transit Oriented Development Community Leadership Briefing to Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30 PM at Largo/Kettering/Perrywood Community Center, due to a water main break that occurred at the facility. The briefing will provide important updates on the Blue Line Corridor and transit oriented development projects. Residents are encouraged to attend the briefing to learn more about how those projects will benefit nearby communities and all Prince Georgians. RSVP to attend the briefing here.
4th Annual Black Women’s Roundtable "Take It To The TOP" National Entrepreneurship Challenge
 County Executive Alsobrooks will serve as a co-host of the 4th Annual Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) "Take It To The TOP" National Entrepreneurship Challenge for the Mid-Atlantic region. Finalists will participate in a “shark-tank style” live pitch competition and entrepreneurship training session at the 12th Annual BWR Women of Power National Summit on Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18 at the National Harbor, for a chance to win up to $25,000. This contest is open to minority woman entrepreneurs and minority woman-owned businesses in our region. To learn more and register, visit the BWR website here.
Momentum: Men Realigning and Reconnecting with Our Community
 The Department of Family Services is hosting the “Momentum: Men Realigning and Reconnecting with Our Community” conference on Saturday, March 18, from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM, at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt. Session topics will include Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence and Effective Communication Styles. There will also be a youth led panel discussion, a women’s vision board workshop, resources, and door prizes. Community services hours will also be available for Prince George’s County Public Schools students. Registration is free. For more information, call 301-265-8432. Register to attend the conference here.
US Route 1 Land Redevelopment Study
 The Prince George's County Planning Department is hosting an in-person Open House and Community Meeting on the US Route 1 Land Redevelopment Study on Wednesday, March 15 at the Beltsville Community Center. The open house informational session is from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM and the community meeting and presentation is from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. The US Route 1 Land Redevelopment Study looks at the Subregion 1 Plan area along the Route 1 Corridor boundary from Quimby Avenue to Sunnyside Avenue, adjacent to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods. Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about the study, provide feedback, and discuss challenges and opportunities for future development along the corridor. Register to attend the meeting here. For more information on the study, visit the Planning Department’s website here.
Facing Eviction?
 If you are facing eviction due to delinquent rent and you have a court summons, court judgement, or warrant of restitution, you may be eligible for the Prince George’s County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). For assistance, call the ERAP Hotline at 301-883-6504, then press 9 and a customer service representative will help you with obtaining an application. Please note that only residents facing eviction can apply for assistance through ERAP. For more information on ERAP or to check the status of an existing application, visit the Department of Housing and Community Development website here.
Department of Housing and Community Development Releases First Affordable Housing Portfolio
 The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has released its first digital comprehensive 2023-2024 Affordable Housing Portfolio. The portfolio lists over forty upcoming and completed senior living communities and multi-family dwellings that are available to County residents. For more information about the new portfolio, watch the promotional video here.
OHR Participates in Human Rights Day
The Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights (OHR) attended Human Rights Day 2023 in Annapolis on Friday, February 17. This effort was jointly presented by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) and the Maryland Association of Human Relations/Rights Agencies (MAHRA), of which OHR is a member. Human Rights Day 2023 featured guest speakers Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, Attorney General Anthony Brown, and included panel discussions on Civil Rights: Hot Topics and Legislative Updates, Growing Intolerance Across the State of Maryland, and General Civil Rights Updates-Unfinished Business. MAHRA’s mission is to serve as a clearinghouse for sharing civil rights, human rights, and Equal Employment Opportunity information among state, local, and national human rights commissions and organizations.
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Know Your Rights
 The Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights’ (OHR) Outreach and Engagement and Investigations Divisions, in partnership with the Immigrant and Refugee Welcome Center (IROC), presented a “Know Your Rights” discrimination awareness training on Tuesday, February 21. The training provided newcomers from Afghanistan, as well as volunteers with IROC, information about civil and human rights protections in Prince George’s County. The training featured simultaneous interpretation in both Dari and Pashto, the two official languages of Afghanistan. Focusing on housing, employment, and disability law, the investigators ensured participants knew their rights and provided resources to access should those rights be violated.
OHR’s Investigations Division is committed to not only pursuing vigorous investigations of alleged civil rights violations, but also to educating the public about their rights and entitlements under federal, state, and local civil and human rights laws. OHR will further partner with IROC to host a “Human Trafficking Awareness” training on Tuesday, March 14, which will also be simultaneously interpreted in Dari and Pashto. Learn more about OHR on their website here. Residents who are interested in learning more about the trainings we provide, including Know Your Rights and Human Trafficking Awareness, should contact OHR by email at OHRStaff@co.pg.md.us.
DPIE’s "Operation Focused Enforcement" Targets Violations
 The Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement’s (DPIE) “Operation Focused Enforcement” was created to identify problem properties and take action to bring them into compliance. Operation Focused Enforcement was instituted in response to resident concerns about the effects of noncompliant properties on their property values and the aesthetics of their neighborhoods. The program has successfully worked in several communities including Lanham–Seabrook and Lewisdale, and along a commercial stretch of Marlboro Pike in Capitol Heights, District Heights, and Forestville, where violations have been addressed at convenience, tobacco and liquor stores, gas stations, and other business establishments.
Under Operation Focused Enforcement, inspectors conduct surveys, establish abatement action plans, and issue violation notices and/or citations to owners of properties in violation. The notices give property owners time to address issues before a reinspection. Citations can carry fines of $150 to $1,000, and egregious cases can be referred to District Court.
Residents can report property maintenance violations to PGC311. For more information, contact DPIE by email at DPIEPIO@co.pg.md.us.
Know What Constitutes a Vehicle Violation Before You Park
Is it illegal to park a commercial vehicle in a driveway in Prince George’s County? Can you keep an unlicensed vehicle under a cover in your driveway? Is it a violation to park your boat in your front yard?
Prince George’s County Code prohibits the parking of some vehicles on private property and even on public residential streets, but many vehicle issues that often spur complaints to the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement (DPIE) are not code violations. For example, while parking semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles in your driveway is illegal, parking pickup trucks with ladders affixed and lettering less than 4-inches tall is not a violation.
The County Code also addresses several other vehicle-related violations. Residents may not work on cars on residential streets or in driveways, and automotive shops are not permitted to operate on cul-de-sacs, inside residential garages, or behind houses or apartments. In addition, parking vehicles on unpaved surfaces, such as on the grass, is a violation. Accumulating nonworking vehicles, vehicle parts, junk cars, and motorcycles are also prohibited, and boats must be tagged, covered, and legally parked on a paved surface or the owner may be subject to a violation notice or fine.
Residents can report vehicle violations to PGC311 and they will be forwarded to the appropriate County government agency.
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Scoop That Poop
Dog waste is more than a nightmare for our shoes. Just like human sewage, untreated pet fecal matter is harmful to waterways. Rain washes dog waste and associated disease-causing organisms, such as salmonella, into rivers, beaches, and the Chesapeake Bay via storm drains. To learn more, watch the Department of the Environment’s (DoE) “Scoop that Poop” video here and visit the DoE website here.
County Executive Highlights Local Minority Developers Along Blue Line Corridor
 On Tuesday, February 28, County Executive Alsobrooks held a press conference to highlight the local minority developers who are investing $769 million in projects that will uplift inner beltway communities along the Blue Line Corridor. These private investments are in addition to the $400 million in bonding authority the County Executive, in collaboration with our State Delegation, secured from the State to create a sports and entertainment destination along the Blue Line.
This is a rare and unique opportunity for any jurisdiction where local, minority developers are leading investment on this scale. These developers know and understand the communities they are investing in, helping build generational wealth and close the wealth gap for our communities and small and minority-owned businesses. This kind of investment along our Blue Line Corridor is historic, and other jurisdictions across the country should be looking to this as a model of successful smart growth.
Read more about the press conference here.
Prince George’s County Awarded $3.25M Farming Grant
 Photo Courtesy of WJLA/ABC7
Prince George's County was recently awarded a $3.25 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This grant will support sustainable farming practices and help minority farmers get funding. Check out this article to learn more about the grant award and how it will help farmers in Prince George’s County.
Prince George’s County’s Youth Action Board Advocating for Homeless Youth
 Photo Courtesy of Maryland Matters/Kelly Gourdin
The Prince George's County Youth Action Board is working to address homelessness in our County and across the state. Their advocacy efforts will help address the many challenges faced by youth experiencing homelessness. Check out this article to learn more about our youth's efforts.
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