Identification of a Local Social Problem
The housing problem has become a subject of heated social, economic, and political debates in Montgomery County, Maryland. The roots of the issue can be traced back to the 1960s, when Montgomery used to be a quiet bedroom community predominantly populated by white American families. The county has a diverse population of over one million residents (Schweitzer, 2022). Many of these people desperately need affordable housing, but land development in Montgomery struggles to meet the demand. The annual number of housing units permitted for construction has dropped from approximately 5,000 in 2000 to 1,486 in 2020 (Schweitzer, 2022).
The shortage of housing units drives higher real estate prices. According to Reed (2021), in 2020, the median home price in Montgomery exceeded $500,000. At the same time, the annual median household income in Montgomery over the 2017-2021 period reached only $117,345 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). Casey Anderson, the chair of Montgomery County’s Planning Board, admitted that even upper-middle-income residents struggle to find affordable housing (Schweitzer, 2022). Given these facts, concerns about the housing crisis in Montgomery are more than justified.
One may wonder why the Montgomery County Council cannot issue more permits for building affordable housing units. The local media explains the problem by two key factors: zoning and the fierce resistance of more affluent Montgomery residents. Many areas of residential land in the county had been zoned for single-family houses decades earlier.
Nowadays, residents of those homes wish to preserve their comfort and prevent the devaluation of their property. For example, in 2021, 197 out of 500 residents of the Woodside Park neighborhood signed a letter to the Council. Homeowners claimed that new housing units would “deeply undermine the neighborhood’s character, natural assets, and future stability” (Reed, 2021).
Moreover, these individuals have a history of successfully contesting undesirable housing efforts. For instance, in 2014, David Brown, an expert land use attorney employed by Silver Spring condominium, convinced the Montgomery City Council Court to overturn permission to construct a seven-story, 187-unit apartment building (Schweitzer, 2022). In this example, it is clear that the housing crisis cannot be quickly resolved at the expense of wealthier homeowners. A county-wide grassroots initiative is necessary to achieve meaningful results.
Identification of a Team to Resolve the Social Issue
Governmental Fund
However, a team of governmental and non-profit organizations is already working to mitigate the affordable housing shortage in Montgomery through political action. Most importantly, the issue received significant recognition from the Montgomery County Council, the county’s main legislative body. In particular, the Council enacted Resolution 19-774, which authorized an allocation of $50 million to the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) Fund.
The Fund is expected to cover the construction of 8,800 new housing units. Additionally, at least 20 percent of these units will be affordable to households with incomes at or below 50 percent of the county’s annual median income (Montgomery County Council, n.d.). Furthermore, in 2021, the Council enacted Bill 26-21, which creates a tax abatement to support affordable housing (Montgomery County Council, n.d.). Essentially, this legislation incentivized developers to invest in affordable housing by securing a significant share of their financing.
Non-Profit Initiatives
Regarding non-profit organizations, the Montgomery for All group provided substantial advocacy for reforms in housing policies. The initiative, organized by the Coalition for Smarter Growth, aims to transform Montgomery into an inclusive community that utilizes its land more efficiently. (Montgomery for All, n.d.). Regarding affordable housing, the Thrive 2050 long-term development plan proposed by Montgomery for All refrained from radical suggestions, such as building multi-story apartments in single-family zones. Instead, the plan encouraged the development of so-called “missing middle” housing, ranging from duplexes to townhouses (Goffman, 2022). Ultimately, Montgomery for All championed Thrive 2050, compelling the Montgomery County Council to heed the voices of community members.
Politicians
Ultimately, the politicians who made the housing issue a central theme of their agenda contributed to the recent positive change in Montgomery. Two fellow Democrats, Hans Riemer and David Blair, heavily criticized Marc Elrich, the current County Executive, by claiming that Elrich failed to offer long-term solutions to the affordable housing shortage (Schweitzer, 2021).
The increasing political pressure on the County Executive was strong enough to initiate the changes. On October 26, 2022, the Montgomery County Council adopted the Thrive 2050 initiative as a new long-term development plan (Montgomery for All, 2022). As such, the much-needed political and strategic groundwork had been laid.
Work Being Done, Challenges, and Ideas for Change
Given these facts, the current steps to mitigate the Montgomery housing crisis are promising. In my opinion, the County Council made the right decision by encouraging the developers to invest in affordable housing programs via tax abatement. Additionally, the Thrive 2050 plan maintained a good balance by limiting suggested changes in zoning policies to constructing duplexes and townhouses, rather than larger housing units. Wealthier single-family home owners may seem selfish and stubborn in their opposition to land development, but they should not be silenced or ignored. Starting with “missing middle” homes is a solid strategy for demonstrating that affordable housing will not compromise the comfort and aesthetic appeal of neighborhoods.
References
Goffman, E. (2022). Thrive 2050 advocates hope the newly passed plan paves the way for a more walkable, equitable Montgomery County. Greater Greater Washington. Web.
Montgomery County Council. (n.d.). Preserve and increase the County’s affordable housing inventory. Web.
Montgomery for All. (n.d.). About us. Web.
Montgomery for All. (2022). We won! Montgomery County Council passes Thrive 2050. Web.
Reed, D. (2021). Top stories of 2021: Residents of a rich Montgomery County neighborhood provide a helpful list of places where cheaper homes can go. Greater Greater Washington. Web.
Schweitzer, A. (2022). In Montgomery County, ‘Neighborhood Defenders’ fight to maintain the suburban status quo. DCist. Web.
Schweitzer, A. (2021). A battle over housing is brewing in the 2022 Montgomery County Executive race. DCist. Web.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). QuickFacts Montgomery County, Maryland. Web.