Three days after vetoing a bill to create a homelessness commission in Harford County, County Executive Bob Cassilly reversed course Friday and withdrew his objection, clearing the way for a body that supporters say the county badly needs.
What’s happening: Cassilly signed an executive memorandum Friday withdrawing his veto of Bill 26-015, which would create a 21-member Commission on Homelessness in Harford County. The commission would meet monthly, produce annual reports, and identify gaps in the county’s response to homelessness. It would have no authority over county money or shelter operations.
“Upon further consideration and following discussions with the bill’s sponsor (Councilwoman Nolanda Robert), incoming Council members, and homeless service providers, I formally withdraw my veto of Bill 26-015 – Commission on Homelessness,” Cassilly wrote in the memorandum.
What changed: Cassilly had signed a veto memorandum just three days earlier, on November 10, arguing the commission would duplicate work already done by existing bodies. “The proposed Commission risks duplicating existing coordination efforts, creating confusion among providers and placing additional demands on the people whose time and expertise are essential to serving residents in need,” he wrote at the time.
Friday’s withdrawal came at the request of District A Councilwoman Nolanda Robert, who sponsored the bill. Cassilly said he also spoke with incoming council members and homeless service providers before changing his position.
“For these reasons, and at the request of Councilwoman Robert, I withdraw my veto of Bill 26-015. I look forward to continuing our work with the Council and our community partners to support those in need,” Cassilly wrote.
What Robert said: Robert thanked Cassilly publicly after the announcement. “I would like to take the opportunity to thank County Executive Cassilly he heard my concerns and your concerns about the veto of the Homeless Commission Bill and has withdrawn the veto. The plan is to start formulating the commission in the New Year!” she said.
Robert had pushed back hard against the original veto, pointing to data she said showed the existing system was falling short. “Last school year, 649 Harford County Public Schools students were identified as lacking permanent housing. That alone should tell us there is more work to do,” she said.
She also pointed to the county’s limited shelter capacity. “There is one homeless shelter for families which is Anna’s House it can only take four families!” Robert said. Anna’s House is the county’s only family homeless shelter.
By the numbers: The scale of homelessness in Harford County came into focus during the council hearing on the bill:
- 649 Harford County Public Schools students were identified as lacking stable housing during the 2025-2026 school year, up from about 589 the year before.
- Of those students, 373 were staying temporarily with relatives or friends, 164 were in hotels or motels, 63 were in shelters, and 49 were in other situations.
- Nearly half — 310 — were elementary school children.
- At the time of the hearing, 216 more students had already been identified in the current school year, with counting still ongoing.
- The Harford Community Action Agency served 1,105 people between July 2024 and June 2026, including 327 children.
- Of the 109 people the agency served who were actively without housing and looking for a permanent home, 48 — nearly 44% — were children.
- The Harford County Sheriff’s Office estimates between 200 and 300 people in the county are homeless.
The school system and the Sheriff’s Office use different definitions of homelessness, so those numbers cannot be added together.
The path forward: Robert said the plan is to begin building the commission in the new year. The Harford County Council could have overridden Cassilly’s veto with a two-thirds majority vote, but no override vote had been scheduled before the veto was withdrawn.