Two Montgomery County Council members are planning to introduce legislation that would allow more residential building types – including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and apartments – along the county’s transit corridors, with a requirement that 15% of the housing serve the local workforce.
“This is the most significant workforce housing proposal the county has ever put forward,” councilmember Andrew Friedson (D-Dist.1), the bill co-lead sponsor, said during a press conference Tuesday in Rockville. “It acknowledges the urgency of our housing crisis, the thoughtfulness needed to strategically address it, and the recognition that the status quo isn’t working for workers, and frankly, it isn’t working for anybody in our community.”
Friedson said the legislative package, called More Housing N.O.W. (New Options for Workers), was inspired by the “unprecedented levels of public outreach” concerning the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative proposed by the county Planning Board in 2024 and conversations with housing experts. He stressed the proposed legislation, co-sponsored by councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6), is not the same as the Planning Board proposal, which recommended zoning changes that would allow more types of housing in single-family home neighborhoods.
“This package does not propose any zoning changes within residential neighborhoods,” Friedson said.
Drafted by county planners, the Attainable Housing Strategies initiative outlines recommendations to the council for zoning changes in some single-family home zones in targeted areas of the county. The changes, which the council would have to approve, aim to provide more housing options and opportunities, especially for middle-income residents, according to Planning Director Jason Sartori.
The proposed initiative sparked heated debate among public officials and community members last year. Hundreds of community members attended the council’s series of listening sessions on the proposed changes in September and October. Critics of the proposal cited concerns ranging from the potential destruction of neighborhood character to the idea that the suggested housing types would not be considered affordable for many potential homeowners. Proponents of the strategy argued it would provide an effective way to increase homeownership opportunities for the middle class.
While the More Housing N.O.W. legislation has not been officially introduced, it was supported at Tuesday’s press conference by council President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) and councilmembers Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large), Marilyn Balcombe (D-Dist. 2) and Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7), indicating a majority of council support when it comes up for a vote.
Expedited project approvals proposed
The legislative package proposed by Friedson and Fani-González also would create an expedited approval process for projects that convert high-vacancy commercial properties to residential use. In addition, it would create a Workforce Housing Opportunity Fund, a $4 million fund to incentivize the construction of workforce housing countywide, as well as a separate financial commitment that would double the county’s investment in homeownership assistance from $4 million to $8 million in the Fiscal Year 26 Housing Initiative Fund.
“It’s not OK just to romanticize the issue and say, ‘yes, I believe in affordable housing.’ You’ve got to do something about it. Don’t play politics,” Fani-González said. “You have the right and you have to use your power to make changes. It is not OK for young families, especially those who have children and are spending thousands of dollars on child care, to not be able to afford a place where they live.”
Fani-González appeared to be alluding to tension among councilmembers over the attainable housing initiative that began brewing last fall. Council Vice President Will Jawando (D-At-large) and councilmember Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5) released statements earlier this month encouraging the council to “press pause” on moving forward with the Planning Board’s recommendations.
According to Friedson, the average detached home price in the county now exceeds $1 million. Residents would have to make $340,000 annually – nearly triple the area median income – to afford a single-family home. Friedson said that according to reports from the state comptroller, people are leaving the county and local businesses are struggling to recruit employees “as a direct result of skyrocketing housing costs.”
Elizabeth Meier, a Montgomery County Public Schools special education teacher, spoke in support of the More Housing N.O.W. proposal at Tuesday’s press conference.
“I love my job. There’s nothing more fun than working with kids … despite all this, it’s nearly impossible for me to afford a home in Montgomery County, much less a home near where I work,” Meier said. “We need to build more homes in Montgomery County, particularly homes that people in the workforce like me can afford. … Montgomery County has some of the best-paid teachers in the area, and I know so many teachers who still cannot afford to live in this county.”
Thomas Courtney, vice president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1664 union, shared a similar sentiment.
“Like the teachers, the firefighters here in Montgomery County are compensated very well, but we still cannot afford housing in Montgomery County. This has been something that we have talked about for years,” Courtney said. “This plan right now is the most comprehensive we have ever seen.”
Public hearings on the More Housing N.O.W. legislation are expected to be scheduled following its introduction.