Category: Maryland

Building a shared prosperity for Prince George’s candidates briefing

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

A briefing for County Executive candidates on linking economic development, housing, and smart growth

Photo of sponsors and candidates of the Prince George's County Executive candidates briefing

February 18, 2025,  Solid Rock Church, Riverdale MD

ProgramDownload
Video Recording

Sponsors

RISE Prince George’s is a group of county residents and allies advocating for policies and practices that build shared, sustainable prosperity in Prince George’s County by creating safe, walkable, inclusive and transit-oriented communities. Platform brief 2025.

LISC – DC is a mission-based investor, convener and technical assistance provider. We work with a wide variety of partners to build neighborhoods where every person, regardless of race or income level has the chance to live and thrive. Briefing 2 pager

Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND) is a nonprofit membership collective working across the private, public, and social sectors to collaborate in the production and preservation of affordable housing in the Capital Region of Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond. Representing the ecosystem of partners who bring equitable communities to fruition, HAND works to disrupt the systems that perpetuate inequity in the communities we serve. We do this by embedding racial equity into our operations, practices, and programming, and activating our membership through policy forums and advocacy designed to drive impact for Black and brown communities residing at the sharpest intersections of inequity. HAND One Pager

Enterprise Community Partners’ mission: to make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging, as well as platforms for resilience and upward mobility. Enterprise Mid-Atlantic Overview

The Capital Market (TCM) is a community-based farmers’ market that: provides healthy, affordable food options to our neighbors in the Capitol Heights neighborhood and surrounding vicinity; supports the growth of local-businesses and farms owned and operated by people of color; advocates for equitable and culturally-aware food systems.

Sowing Empowerment & Economic Development, Inc. (SEED) provides food, clothing, education and training while promoting self-sufficiency and empowerment directly to low- to moderate-income families and communities. Through community services, education and community development, SEED will create environments where all individuals are empowered, all children are nurtured, families are strengthened and communities are transformed. SEED is also the developer of 250 units of affordable housing on the Purple Line Corridor’s Riverdale Road Station in partnership with Lincoln Avenue Communities. SEED brochure

Housing Initiative Partnership, Inc. (HIP) develops innovative affordable housing, revitalizes neighborhoods, and equips people to achieve their housing and financial goals. Our vision is that every person lives in high-quality affordable housing in a thriving community. HIP handout

The Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC) is a public-private-community collaborative working to leverage Maryland’s largest transit investment in the 21st century to ensure equitable change for all who live, work and invest in the corridor. PLCC flyer

Coalition for Smarter Growth advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. Blueprint for a Better Region

The sponsors are 501(c)(3) organizations and this is a permitted educational activity. By law, these organizations do not endorse or work on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Pictured: left to right: Pastor Mike Dickson, Solid Rock Church; Stanford Fraser, RISE Prince George’s; Sheila Somashekhar, Purple Line Corridor Coalition; Steven Palmer, HAND; Albert Slocum, candidate; Moisette Tonya Sweat, candidate; Kyle Reeder, The Capital Market and RISE Prince George’s; Marcellus Crews, candidate; Bryan Franklin, LISC; Stephanie Proestel, HIP; Cheryl Cort, CSG; David Bowers, Enterprise; Marcus Robinson, LISC; Bernard Holloway, RISE Prince George’s. Photo credit: Lesia R. Bullock, HIP

Testimony: Maryland Single-Staircase Building Study (HB489)

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

Single-staircase buildings offer a potential solution to several of the housing challenges Maryland faces. Modern fire safety requirements and building materials make it possible to build single-staircase buildings safely, and this study will help us update our state’s housing policies to reflect these advances.

MD Testimony: HB38, School Zones and Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

Providing sufficient housing that people can afford is essential to ensure that Maryland is providing opportunities for all to live and thrive in our communities. For this reason, we ask you to support HB 38.

HB 38 will provide information that will help Maryland better understand where education investments are most needed, and will prevent school capacity from becoming an indefinite barrier to needed housing production.

MD Testimony: Local Transit Sustainability Act, SB 20/HB 432

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

Testimony on SB 20

Local Transit Sustainability Act

Senate Budget & Taxation Committee

Date: January 27, 2025

Position: SUPPORT

The Coalition for Smarter Growth supports SB 20. Our organization advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. 

The Locally Operated Transit Systems – Mandatory Funding – Inflation Adjustment (Local Transit Sustainability Act) will provide greater reliability to services on which many Maryland workers and residents depend.

‬Maryland is one of the top states in per capita transit ridership. In the area where our organization works, locally operated transit systems are essential:

  • Montgomery County Ride On served 18.5 million passenger trips last year. This was a 20% ridership increase from the previous year, and the second highest growth among mid-sized transit systems nationwide.
  • Prince George’s County The Bus serves 10,000 miles of routes in the county and 10,000 riders per day.

Despite recovering ridership and fare revenue since the pandemic, Maryland’s Locally Operated Transit Systems – and their many riders – depend on regular state support. 

SB 20 would provide predictability for local agencies and communities with needed adjustments for inflation. 

We ask for a favorable report for SB 20 by the committee. Thank you.

MD Testimony: Transportation Investment Priorities Act, HB 20 & SB 198

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

Testimony on SB 198

Transportation Investment Priorities Act of 2025

Senate Budget & Taxation Committee

Date: January 27, 2025

Position: SUPPORT

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) supports SB 198. Our organization advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. The Transportation Investment Priorities Act will ensure Maryland’s transportation investments are aligned with state policy goals and that funding decisions are transparent and data driven.

We applaud MDOT’s current effort to modernize the Chapter 30 project scoring program. SB 198 would ensure that these efforts guide future administrations in spending Maryland’s transportation dollars wisely and with accountability.

In neighboring Virginia, the Smart Scale project funding and prioritization program is regarded as a national success story, because it has resulted in more cost effective projects and solutions. Equally important, because it doesn’t spread funds thinly across too many projects with the result that many never get built, SmartScale has ensured that the selected projects are fully funded and are built more expeditiously. These key components of Smart Scale are likewise contained in MDOT’s proposed administrative measures and SB 198 legislation to improve the Chapter 30 process.

SB 198 ensures consideration of land use, environmental impacts, and demand management solutions. It improves the connection between the state and localities to jointly ensure that local land use decisions are linked to transportation projects that the taxpayers can afford and make sense. At a time when tax resources are scarce, SB 198 will ensure that our state transportation dollars are spent wisely.

We ask for a favorable report for SB 198 by the committee. Thank you.

MD Testimony for Metro Funding Modification Act (HB 467 / SB 384)

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

Testimony on SB 384

Metro Funding Modification Act of 2025

Senate Budget & Taxation Committee

Date: January 27, 2025

Position: SUPPORT

The Coalition for Smarter Growth supports SB 384. Our organization advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. 

The Metro Funding Modification Act will ensure that critical tri-state capital funding for WMATA is adjusted for inflation, contingent on similar commitments by the District of Columbia and Virginia. The WMATA rail, bus and paratransit systems are foundations of the economy and community livability of the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. 

WMATA has made significant progress in addressing its infrastructure and equipment state of good repair needs, thanks to the 2018 deal reached by Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia to provide $500 million annually in dedicated capital funding. However, this was not indexed to inflation, and WMATA’s lost purchasing power threatens to increase the deferred maintenance backlog in coming years. 

WMATA service today is faster, more frequent, and more reliable because of the three states’ investment in WMATA. WMATA strategic planning, maintenance, transparency, and communications are much improved, ridership is bouncing back strongly, and customer satisfaction is at an all-time high. Our Metro has also made our region more economically competitive by attracting and retaining cutting-edge companies and next generation employees. Vacancy rates for offices near Metro are significantly lower than in office parks, reflecting the desirability of Metro station locations.

However, without timely action by the State of Maryland (and its partners DC and Virginia), inadequate capital funding for Metro will result in declining service reliability, worsening customer experience, and increased safety risk. These risks threaten worker commutes, transit-oriented business centers in Montgomery and Prince George’s, and household affordability that underpin the economy and make these areas desirable places.

Maryland can be a regional leader by passing SB 384, making the common-sense step of indexing existing dedicated state Metro capital funding to inflation. 
We ask for a favorable report for SB 384 by the committee. Thank you.

MD Testimony in Support of HB 80 / SB 190 – Transit-oriented development bill

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

Testimony on HB 80

Land Use – Transit-Oriented Development – Alterations

House Environment and Transportation Committee

Date: January 27, 2025

Position: Support 

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) strongly supports HB 80. CSG advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. HB 80 would facilitate transit-oriented development around Maryland rail stations and transit corridors. Below are some of the reasons why.

Transit-oriented development (TOD) plays a critical role in resolving two key Maryland challenges: housing and transportation – Workers and families benefit from expanded transportation and housing options – and greater affordability. 

  • Transit commuters typically save over $13,000 per year by driving less and owning fewer household cars. 
  • State-owned TOD sites could support 5,000 new housing units in the Baltimore region and 3,000 new housing units along the MARC Penn Line.

Maryland’s economy and state and local finances have benefitted greatly from TOD – and continued development of underutilized sites would add to these annual benefits

  • In the Maryland suburbs of DC, development just on WMATA-owned property at Metrorail stations provides $66 million annually in local and state tax revenue. Currently active projects in Maryland will result in an additional $51 million in annual tax revenue. A further 13 million square feet of joint development is planned by WMATA in Maryland.
  • WMATA estimates that full build-out of its available properties across the tri-state Metrorail system would provide $340 million in annual tax revenues and $8.6 billion in potential annual economic impact. Twenty-four out of the 40 stations with these development opportunities are located in Maryland.  
  • MARC Penn Line sites could generate $800 million in new state and local revenue. 

HB 80 would help ensure that legacy zoning provisions not intended for TOD sites do not stand in the way of market demand for accessibly located housing and services  – The bill would remove minimum parking requirements (allowing developers to decide) for transit-oriented developments within proximity of rail transit stations. This is considered a national best practice to ensure housing affordability and remove market obstacles.  

Lastly, in a period of state fiscal constraint, transit-oriented development is a transportation solution that often takes advantage of existing infrastructure, leverages private investment and provides significant returns.
We ask for a favorable report for HB 80 by the committee. Thank you.

RELEASE: CSG and Montgomery for All support the More Housing N.O.W. Package

RELEASE: CSG and Montgomery for All support the More Housing N.O.W. Package

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

The Coalition for Smarter Growth and Montgomery for All are proud to support the More Housing N.O.W. package to increase housing options in sustainable locations and support our workforce and first-time homebuyers. Building more housing along our corridors, a central piece of this package, will help more people afford homes in Montgomery County and live close to jobs, transit, and amenities.

CSG in the News: Jawando urges County Council to pause attainable housing plan

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

The Coalition for Smarter Growth, a nonprofit that, according to its website, advocates for “walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities” in the Washington, D.C. area, released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying the organization is “deeply disappointed” by Jawando’s comments.

“Smaller, multi-family units like those proposed in the Attainable Housing Strategies recommendations can be built and sold more affordably than single-family detached homes. Expanding housing choices also offers creative pathways and opportunities to produce subsidized affordable homes, a feat that is financially prohibitive to accomplish with single-family detached homes,” the nonprofit wrote.

RELEASE: CSG Response to Councilmember Jawando’s Comments on Attainable Housing (MoCo)

RELEASE: CSG Response to Councilmember Jawando’s Comments on Attainable Housing (MoCo)

Posted on by Carrie Kisicki

We are deeply disappointed by Councilmember Will Jawando’s statements on the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative (AHSI). His statements fail to recognize the reality of our county’s housing crisis and lack of sufficient housing options, and do not address the full range and potential of the AHSI recommendations.