Prince George’s County Council bills would create a Housing Board to implement the 10-year housing strategy, and support affordable housing tax relief in Right of First Refusal purchases.
Category: Affordable Housing
TAKE ACTION: Stop the council from dismantling the public’s new smart growth zoning code
Tell the Prince George’s County Council to vote no on rushed, drastic changes to our new zoning code.

EVENT: Affordability As We Grow in Prince George’s
Thank you to everyone who joined RISE Prince George’s and CSG on 10/8/2022 for our September meeting. We discussed progress and prospects for Prince George’s affordable housing efforts as transit-oriented development takes root.
All About Thrive #5: Thrive, more housing options, and safe streets are all popular
Recent Data for Progress polls about Thrive 2050, constructing new homes, and redesigning roads for safety over speed showed majority support for all three.
TESTIMONY re: Bill 22-22E – Landlord-Tenant Relations – Limitations on Rent Increases (Support)
The Coalition for Smarter Growth supports Bill 22-22E, which would limit rent increases to 4.4 percent for six months, and strongly urges you to develop and implement a long-term policy that protects tenants without hindering the construction of new housing. We also associate ourselves with the testimony of the Montgomery Housing Alliance, of which we are a member.

Exciting news for Chevy Chase DC!
Thanks to all those who took action and voiced support for creating a more inclusive, diverse, sustainable, and vibrant Chevy Chase DC. On July 12th, the DC Council voted unanimously to adopt the Chevy Chase Small Area Plan.
Do you want to build an accessory apartment? We’ll help you talk to an architect!
Have you been thinking about building an accessory apartment in your home or backyard? If so, take the next step and talk to a professional who knows a lot about how these projects are designed and built. Fill out this form to connect you with an experienced architect, Ileana Schinder, to discuss an accessory dwelling project for your property in a 15-30 minute phone call at no-cost.
Yes! Sign me up to talk to an architect about my ADU idea for my property!
You don’t need to have all the details worked out, Ileana can help you refine the how and why. If you are a DC homeowner, just fill out the form to schedule a meeting, and talk through your idea and see if you might be ready to start.
In other DC ADU news:
We’re making a few updates to the DC ADU manual because some details about the zoning rules have changed. Specifically, those rules are:
- Accessory building (like a backyard cottage) height is now permitted to be 22 feet rather than 20 feet.
- Accessory buildings must be set back 7.5 feet from the alley centerline, rather than 12 feet.
- Clarifies an accessory building, which is allowed in the backyard, cannot be located in the required rear yard without a special exception.
You can view these changes on the ADU manual webpage here. Keep watch for additional possible changes — we are pushing to make it easier to build an ADU!
In addition, be on the lookout for an announcement from the District government, which is launching an ADU assistance program, details TBA. We are excited to keep the momentum going to help homeowners build accessory apartments!
This education effort is co-sponsored by United Planning Organization and Coalition for Smarter Growth.
Register for our Diverse Neighborhoods webinar, on July 27!
Join us to learn about how the right policies and investments can allow neighborhoods to grow in a way that support racial and economic diversity. The DC region is one of the most diverse places in the country, but remains largely segregated. We’ll talk about the latest research, the policy implications, and why it matters to yo