February 25, 2025

The Honorable Senator Craig J. Zucker
Chair, Capital Budget Subcommittee
Senate Budget and Taxation Committee
Maryland Senate
3 West Miller Senate Office Building
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Budget Hearing — Department of Housing and Community Development
Carrie Kisicki, Montgomery County Advocacy Manager

Dear Chair Zucker and Subcommittee Members,

Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Carrie Kisicki, and I am the Montgomery County Advocacy Manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth. We advocate for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the metro D.C. region to grow and provide opportunities for all. 

Montgomery County and Prince George’s County are each facing housing affordability and availability challenges for people of low and middle incomes, preventing people from finding housing that they can afford near jobs and opportunity.

The work of DHCD and affordable housing practitioners across the state is essential to meeting this need and building more inclusive, equitable communities where all people can afford to live. 

Furthermore, support from state investments makes it feasible to build affordable homes in high-opportunity, transit-accessible neighborhoods—opening doors for residents for whom such neighborhoods would otherwise be prohibitively expensive.

For these reasons, we ask you to support the full FY26 DHCD capital budget request.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Carrie Kisicki
Montgomery County Advocacy Manager