Speakers at a Montgomery County Council public hearing Tuesday overwhelmingly supported a proposed zoning change that would allow houses of worship and other private educational institutions to build multi-unit housing on their properties.
And for one clergy member, it’s personal.
“When I was 8 years old, we had toxic black mold in the house, rendering it unsafe,” Rev. William Green of Silver Spring United Methodist Church told the council. “My single mother and I were homeless … and our temporary shelter constantly moved. It took its toll on our mental, physical and financial health.”
Green said his church serves more than 3,000 community members a week through recovery programs, mental health support, a food pantry and other outreach, and he wants to help provide stable housing to people who can’t afford the area’s high real estate prices. That’s why he supports the proposed zoning amendment known as the Facilitating Affordable Inclusive Transformational Housing (FAITH) ZTA.
The bill is sponsored by council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) and Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4). The remaining nine councilmembers have signed on as co-sponsors.
Under current county zoning laws, multi-unit housing is not permitted in non-residential zones. This bill would change that for qualifying institutions, such as houses of worship. The proposed zoning change would enable the institutions to build housing on their land, though they would still have to follow county affordability guidelines, with at least 30% to 50% of units being designated as “affordable dwelling units” under county government rent standards.
Stewart and Friedson rallied support for the bill at a press conference outside the council building in Rockville prior to the hearing. They were joined by councilmember Sidney Katz (D-Dist. 3), councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large) and community housing advocates.
Stewart said religious assemblies or private education institutions that want to build new homes on their land are discouraged because the approval process is lengthy and cumbersome.
“These institutions are already doing so much work in our community, and many of them want to work with us as the county to tackle some of the biggest, most persistent challenges we currently face,” Stewart said.
Supporters of the bill who testified Tuesday ranged from local renters and clergy members to representatives from organizations such as AARP and Habitat for Humanity.
The proposed zoning amendment “represents a crucial stride in our ongoing efforts to rectify the deep-seated disparity within our housing, particularly those rooted in historical and contemporary discrimination,” said William Hegwood, who works in homelessness prevention services.
Rev. Michael Armstrong, pastor at Colesville United Methodist Church and a leader of the Action in Montgomery non-profit advocacy group, said his daughter, who has a college degree and a job, has faced challenges finding affordable housing.
“When we ask our neighbors to share what gets in the way of their families thriving, across the board, the issue we hear most frequently is the need for affordable housing,” Armstrong said. “[It’s affecting] families, generations, seniors, the middle-aged, blue-collar workers, young professionals, college graduates.”
While the vast majority of hearing attendees lauded the proposed zoning change, two speakers said they opposed it, citing concerns about the possible climate impact.
“We are protecting the county from more air pollution,” Quentin Remein of the Cloverly Civic Association said. “With new households, that would be more cause for roads, public transportation, schools, parks, libraries, fire and emergency services [to spend money on].”
County resident Ellen Mann said she would not support the proposed zoning change unless the council made amendments related to climate protection.
“If these churches decide to build dense housing on their properties, the result would be massive deforestation, which is, as you know, a major cause of global warming,” Mann said.
The “YIGBY” movement, which stands for “Yes In God’s Backyard,” has picked up steam across the country as houses of worship advocate for the right to build affordable housing on their properties. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in November signed a bill into law that allowed houses of worship in that state to develop housing on their land, regardless of local zoning codes, Axios reported.
The council has not scheduled a vote on the bill, but the unanimous co-sponsorship of the legislation by the council indicates a version of it is likely to pass.
