FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2022
CONTACT:
Jane Lyons, Coalition for Smarter Growth
jane@smartergrowth.net | 410-474-0741
Cynthia Marshall, Action in Montgomery
cynthia@actioninmontgomery.org, 443-433-8054
Residents to Host Major Action for Affordable Housing at Chevy Chase Library
Community members call on County Executive Marc Elrich and the Montgomery County Council to to use public land for maximum public good
What: Join Action in Montgomery, Coalition for Smarter Growth, and Montgomery for All to rally in support of mixed-income housing at Chevy Chase Library. Speakers at the event will include:
- Co-chairs of event: AIM leaders Patrice Johnson from Harvest Intercontinental Church and Jaime Matyas from B’nai Israel and SEA Change Coalition
- Community members impacted by lack of affordable housing including Marion Forcha from AIM and St. Camillus Catholic Church
- Shruti Bhatnagar, Sierra Club Montgomery County Group
- Alison Gillespie, Montgomery for All
The County Executive and County Councilmembers have been invited to the event and those in attendance will be given an opportunity to speak.
Where: Chevy Chase Library, 8005 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 — RSVP here
When: Sunday, April 24, 2022, 2:00-3:00 PM
Why: The Chevy Chase Library needs major repairs, and the county can either renovate or redevelop the library with mixed-income housing. Presently, County Executive Marc Elrich has directed the county to renovate the existing library instead of redeveloping. Redevelopment is an opportunity to model the smart growth future of Montgomery County by mixing affordable housing and a public facility in one location near transit, services, amenities, and jobs.
This is the start of a much larger campaign to use the development of the Purple LIne for maximum public benefit on the much larger issues of transportation, community sustainability, affordable housing and climate change.
Background: On April 7, 2022, 21 organizations sent a letter to County Executive Marc Elrich calling on him to move forward with the redevelopment of Chevy Chase Library to include mixed-income housing.
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Action In Montgomery has 30+ congregations, schools and nonprofits organizations as members. We start by listening to thousands of people who live and work in Montgomery County and then act together to win real solutions to the issues people raise. We have won over $900 Million for affordable housing, were key to passing the Dream Act in Maryland, and quality after school programming for over 1200 students at high poverty elementary schools, and $71M for school renovation.
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington, DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Our mission is to advocate for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the region to grow and provide opportunities for all.
Montgomery for All is a grassroots, community-led group advocating for a more affordable, environmentally sustainable, and prosperous Montgomery County through better land use, housing, and transit decisions. Montgomery for All is organized and supported by the Coalition for Smarter Growth.