The main objectives of this ZTA in our view are: 1) to meet our county’s housing need by providing an additional, affordability-focused pathway to build more housing; and 2) to reduce the existing barriers to qualifying institutions who seek to build housing. With that in mind, we believe the ZTA could even more successfully achieve these goals if projects were approved through the site plan approval process rather than the conditional use approval process.
Category: Affordable Housing
Testimony: Housing Expansion and Affordability Act of 2024 (MD, Support with Amendments)
SB 484 would open up more opportunities to build needed housing, overcoming impediments for both market-rate and affordable home construction. We support this bill but suggest two amendments to strengthen it.
Testimony: SB 1123, School Facilities and Public Safety Surcharges and Report – Sunset Extension (Prince George’s, Support)
We want to express our strong support for SB 1123, which would extend the current 50% reduced school facilities surcharge for multifamily housing projects located close to Metro and MARC stations. It also states that Purple Line stations can receive the same treatment by the governing body of the county.
Testimony: Low Income Housing Tax Credits – bond cap crisis must be addressed
We should all be alarmed that little to no new rental housing projects are being financed as of August 2023 – for an indefinite period. In August, DHCD (not HFA) announced that the District hit the federal ceiling on private-activity bond issuance, known as the “bond cap” which effectively limits the allocation of 4% Low Income Tax Credits (LIHTC). This shocking announcement brought numerous shovel-ready affordable housing projects to a sudden, abrupt halt.
Testimony: FY2025 Capital Budget for Department of Housing and Community Development (MD, Support)
We wish to express our strong support for the proposed capital budget that will make critical investments in rental housing programs and community revitalization. The FY25 capital budget proposes $110 million in rental housing support, doubling what was provided in the last budget. This would create thousands of desperately needed quality homes for low- and moderate-income families. This investment provides essential funding to the successful Rental Housing Works (RHW) program.
Event: Attainable Housing in Montgomery County (Feb 2024)
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.
- Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative
- Sign up to testify in-person or virtually for March 21 attainable housing listening sessions
- Instructions on submitting written testimony to the Planning Board (scroll to “Submit testimony to the Planning Board”)
Faith Housing ZTA:
- Sign up to testify for ZTA 24-01 on February 27
- Text: ZTA 24-01
- Submit written testimony to the County Council (note: it is most effective to also send any testimony you submit to each Councilmember’s office individually; find Councilmembers’ emails here)
Montgomery for All Resources:
- Become a member of Montgomery for All
- Data for Progress polling data on Thrive 2050
- Montgomery for All guide: How to Testify
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.
Testimony: FY2025 Capital Budget for Department of Housing and Community Development (MD, Support)
We wish to express our strong support for the proposed capital budget that will make critical investments in rental housing programs and community revitalization. The FY25 capital budget proposes $110 million in rental housing support, doubling what was provided in the last budget. This would create thousands of desperately needed quality homes for low- and moderate-income families. This investment provides essential funding to the successful Rental Housing Works (RHW) program.
Take Action: Sign up to testify for attainable housing!
On March 21, the Planning Board will hold a public listening session on the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative. This is the next step in implementing the Thrive 2050 General Plan and expanding the range of housing types available in Montgomery County. The initiative makes recommendations for zoning changes to allow “missing middle” housing types like duplexes and triplexes in more parts of the county.
Testimony: Performance Oversight for the Department of Housing and Community Development and Housing Production Trust Fund (DC)
We wish to express our strong support for the HPTF, and urge the Council to remain committed to this essential tool for addressing our acute housing affordability challenges. Without it, we would be so much farther behind, leaving thousands of families without the homes they now enjoy. DC’s strong commitment to preserving and producing affordable housing is one of the leading efforts in the country. While our housing affordability challenges are severe, the HPTF provides irreplaceable capacity to address our needs.
Take Action: Urge DC Zoning Commission to increase affordable housing & prevent displacement at Takoma Metro
The DC Zoning Commission is considering a proposal from a tenants’ association and their non-profit partner to replace their aging 36-unit rental apartment building with a new, 4-story 100% affordable, accessible 80-unit building.