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: Maryland
Testimony: Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2024 (MD, Support)
The Transportation and Climate Alignment Act will ensure Maryland’s transportation investments are aligned with its climate change mitigation goals and provide numerous benefits to the state’s residents, workers and communities.
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: Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2024 (MD, Support)
The Transportation and Climate Alignment Act will ensure Maryland’s transportation investments are aligned with its climate change mitigation goals and provide numerous benefits to the state’s residents, workers and communities.
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.
Testimony: WMATA Board re FY25 Budget (MD)
We thank WMATA for its hard work to identify cost savings and efficiencies to reduce the $750 million operating budget gap. We also thank the jurisdictions for proposing $480 million in additional operating funding for FY25. This includes the $150 million promised by Governor Moore and key state legislators.
But we urge our elected leaders to do more to reduce and even close the entire gap. We all know that failure to close the entire gap will still mean some service cuts, fare hikes, impact on the workforce, and delays in the capital program.
Testimony: Electric Bicycle Rebate & Voucher Program (MD, Support)
E-bike rebate programs have been popular and successful across the US – Most daily trips that Marylanders make are within bikeable distances. Electric-assist bicycles, or e-bikes, can extend the reach of bikes to more people, more destinations, and more trips that are often done by car. Denver, Colorado’s nationally recognized e-bike rebate program in less than a year after it began, helped residents replace over 100,000 miles of car trips per week. The State of Colorado last year launched a popular statewide program.
Take Action: Creating transportation options to reduce climate pollution, save money, and improve health for Marylanders
We have an opportunity to ensure that Maryland’s transportation investments support its climate goals while giving residents and workers more sustainable options to get to jobs and other destinations – the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act (TCA). This legislation is being considered right now in the Maryland General Assembly, and your legislators need to hear from you!
The TCA (HB 836/SB 681) would require that proposed highway projects be consistent with state greenhouse gas reduction targets and provide affordable, safer, and more sustainable transportation options to offset any increases in traffic and emissions.
Contact your state delegates and senator today to let them know that you support this common-sense approach.
Transportation continues to be the largest source of climate pollution in the state. Maryland is at risk from sea level rise, flooding, heat, and forest fires – the state can’t afford expensive projects that increase climate pollution.
The TCA requires the Maryland Department of Transportation to assess major highway projects and fix any negative climate impacts. If needed, projects that move forward would incorporate measures such as improving and expanding public transit, bike infrastructure, and broadband access, as well as locating jobs and amenities near where people live and near transit. Learn more here.
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.
