Author: Carrie Kisicki

Event: Attainable Housing in Montgomery County (Feb 2024)

Event: Attainable Housing in Montgomery County (Feb 2024)

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

At Montgomery for All‘s February meeting, we heard from Montgomery County Council President Andrew Friedson and housing planner Lisa Govoni about upcoming action on Montgomery County housing targets and the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative.

We also heard from YIMBYs of NoVA co-founder Luca Gattoni-Celli about how advocates worked together and took a positive approach to win major missing middle housing legislation in Arlington and Alexandria. Montgomery for All is a grassroots, community-led group advocating for sustainable and inclusive land use, housing, and transit policies in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Event recording: Montgomery for All: Attainable Housing Briefing (February 2024)
Slides — Lisa Govoni, Montgomery Planning: Local Housing Targets & Attainable Housing Strategies Overview

Attainable Housing:
On March 21, the Planning Board will hold two public listening sessions in the afternoon and evening on the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative. This initiative is the next step in implementing the Thrive 2050 General Plan and expanding the range of housing types available in Montgomery County.

Faith Housing ZTA:

Montgomery for All Resources:

YIMBYs of NoVA:

Housing Targets:
Montgomery Planning will brief the Council’s Planning, Housing, and Parks committee on housing targets on March 18. See select slides below and view the full slide presentation here.

CSG News: Inspiration!

CSG News: Inspiration!

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

We had a record turnout for Smart Growth Social with two special guests – David Zipper and WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke. It was a great party and chance to catch up, but we also called everyone to action to help us win the funding Metro needs. We’ll need your help to speak up for transit-oriented communities, more housing, safer streets, and reforming state transportation priorities. See below for the opportunities to speak up in your community!

CSG in the News: Zoning Proposal for Housing is Front and Center as Alexandria City Council Meets Tonight in Public Session

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

Bill Pugh lives in Alexandria and is senior policy fellow with Coalition for Smarter Growth. “Would you go so far as to say we have a housing crisis?,” Zebra asked Pugh in a phone interview two days after the community forum.

“Alexandria has a housing shortage like many jurisdictions,” said Pugh, “and it also has an affordability issue as well. Whether we call it a crisis or not, the data that was presented by the Urban Institute has clearly shown there’s not enough housing in the DC region on all income levels. And we see that in day-to-day examples. My kids attend ACPS schools and many of their teachers drive in from Prince William and Prince George’s counties because they can’t afford to live here.”

CSG in the News: How Washington region leaders can score a transit touchdown for the ages (Hint: it’s not funding a stadium)

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

We haven’t heard proposals from our elected officials yet on how they will close the Metro funding gap, but we have heard a lot from them about the Commanders. Which public investment should our leaders prioritize?

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) crunched the numbers and found that saving the Metro system (rail, bus, and paratransit) would cost less than one-tenth per user compared to the public subsidies proposed for a new Commanders stadium.

CSG News: Football subsidies or Metro? Parking or housing?

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

Looking at the many issues we are tackling this month, a common theme emerges. What are our region’s priorities? Is it to subsidize a new stadium for the Commanders or to close Metro’s budget gap? Is it parking or more housing? Transit and safer streets or more HOT lanes and wide, dangerous arterials? Please read on to see how you can help fight for more housing, safer streets, and transit.

CSG in the News: Letter: Use resources to upgrade transit, not subsidize team owners

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA/Metro) is facing a $750 million annual operating budget shortfall in fiscal 2025, which starts July 1, 2024 – just 10 months away. If our state and local governments in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia don’t step up to address the ongoing funding need, our region’s transit would suffer catastrophic cuts.

At the same time, we’ve seen a lot of attention to potential public subsidies for a new football stadium for the Washington Commanders. So, the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) compared the cost of closing the WMATA budget gap to recent Maryland and Virginia stadium-subsidy proposals.

CSG in the News: News roundup: A pitch to save Metro

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is urging leaders from Maryland, D.C. and Virginia to invest in D.C.-area transit as Metro faces a possible $750 million operating budget shortfall by July 1, which is the beginning of the agency’s next fiscal year.

“Our analysis shows that there should be as much and certainly more enthusiasm in Richmond, Annapolis and D.C. for maintaining and enhancing our critical Metro system as there is for subsidizing an already lucrative professional sports franchise,” said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the coalition, in a statement. “Sports fans, tourists, workers, families, businesses and our regional and state economy all depend on frequent and reliable Metro service.”