Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich this week continued to address the Attainable Housing Strategies recommended by the Montgomery Planning Board. The County Council was briefed on the plan earlier this week.
County Executive Elrich said that a record number of residents attended listening sessions and sent emails—and the vast majority voiced concerns with the Attainable Housing plan.
Most of the feedback and concerns, said County Executive Elrich, mirror the arguments he has raised over the last few months. A number of Councilmembers raised similar concerns during the Council session.
County Executive Elrich talks more about the proposed Attainable Housing plan in a video, which is viewable here.
The Montgomery Office of Human Rights, the Montgomery County Chapter of the NAACP and the Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church will host a free seminar for first-time homebuyers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, in Gaithersburg.
The seminar will be held at the Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church, located at 610 South Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg.
The seminar will provide prospective home buyers with information on what is involved in the purchasing and maintaining of a home. It also will address the benefits of home ownership and accruing home equity for families.
“Providing people with home ownership resources is a vital aspect of equal housing opportunity work,” said James Stowe, director of the County’s Office of Human Rights.
In honor of May as “Older Americans Month,” the Montgomery County Commission on Aging will host its annual free forum from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, in the Executive Office Building in Rockville. This year’s theme is "Reimagining Housing for Older Adults: Ideas and Actions to Make Housing Available, Affordable and Accessible.”
The Executive Office Building is located at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville.
The forum will seek to identify modifications to governmental regulations, institutional policies and financing strategies to achieve increased affordability, accessibility and availability of a range of housing types.
"As we mark the occasion of Older Americans Month, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Montgomery County Commission on Aging for consistently addressing the ever-changing needs of our older adult population,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “This event serves as a poignant reminder of the critical importance of ensuring that our older residents have not just housing options, but ones that are both affordable and accessible. It's imperative that we come together as a community to engage in this essential dialogue. I urge all residents to actively participate in this vital conversation. Let's work hand in hand to cultivate communities that are truly inclusive and supportive of our older adults here in Montgomery County."
The public forum will seek to identify modifications to governmental regulations, institutional policies and financing strategies to achieve increased affordability, accessibility and availability of a range of housing types.
The forum will help identify the innovations and actions needed to overcome the obstacles that deter or disincentivize the public and private sectors from developing and offering housing to older adults with different characteristics (e.g., income, race, physical and mental status).
The outcomes from the forum will identify actions that the commission, the County and other stakeholders can take to advance the goal of increasing the affordability, availability and accessibility of housing to meet the needs of the older adult community. National and local leaders will describe what is currently being done to address housing for older adults and what can be done over the next three-to-five years to address the challenges.
For more information or to request accommodations needed to participate, contact Tremayne Jones with as much advance notice as possible, preferably at least four business days prior to the event, at Tremayne.Jones@montgomerycountymd.gov or 240-777-1262.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Councilmember Kristin Mink and the County’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 12 to recognize the first project completed under the Countywide Façade Improvement Program (CFIP). The ceremonies were held at the Hillandale Center, which is located at 10210 New Hampshire Ave. in Silver Spring.
Hillandale Center property owner Ben Bran Associates spent $579,804 on upgrades to the property, which now features a freshly painted façade, better signage, a revamped design with enhanced aesthetics and color scheme, a new wall mural and improved lighting for the parking lot.
The CFIP helps transform the exteriors of commercial properties and/or businesses 10 years old or older to meet today’s commercial standards and improve their aesthetic appeal. The projects encourage and create more visually inviting, safer commercial environments across the County.
Under the CFIP, property and business owners fund eligible improvements up front and are reimbursed upon project completion for up to 50 percent of those costs through an easement purchase by the County.
Volunteers are needed for the Nadim Khan Memorial Homeless Resource Day to be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, at the Activity Center at the City of Gaithersburg’s Bohrer Park. The one-day fair will provide Montgomery County residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with a one-stop opportunity to access a variety of resources and services focusing on health, employment, housing, legal, tax and veteran benefits.
Bohrer Park is located at 506 South Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg. The event is co-sponsored by the County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the City of Gaithersburg.
Volunteers serve as guides or navigators for the attendees to take advantage of more than 50 participating organizations. Services offered will include free medical screenings, legal support, tax assistance, substance abuse and mental health counseling and free haircuts and manicures. Volunteers also are needed to help distribute donated winter clothing items.
“Homelessness is more than a housing issue—it is a human issue,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We need to help our neighbors who find themselves without housing. Homeless Resource Day is an event where individuals can find many resources in one place and volunteers are critical to the success of the event, assisting attendees navigate through many services being offered.”
Training for volunteers will be provided in advance of Homeless Resource Day. Free breakfast and lunch will be offered to volunteers at the event. Click here to sign up to volunteer.
“We haven’t had the resource fair for several years because of the pandemic and we know that having many different services and resources available in one place can really make a difference in helping people apply for benefits and get assistance with other needs,” said Christine Hong, DHHS chief of Services to End and Prevent Homelessness.
During the 2023 Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Point-in-Time (PIT) survey held in late January, 894 adults and children experiencing homelessness and residing in shelters, transitional housing or who were unsheltered were counted in Montgomery County. The PIT survey is part of an annual regional analysis that started in 2001.
Additional sponsors of Homeless Resource Day include the Montgomery County Executive’s Office, the Montgomery County Council, the Housing Opportunities Commission, Covenant United Methodist Church, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Parish, WellPoint, United Healthcare and Gifts for the Homeless.
Homeless Resource Day in Montgomery County was formally named the Nadim A. Khan Homeless Resource Day following Mr. Khan’s death in 2016. He was the chief of Special Needs Housing (now known as Services to End and Prevent Homelessness) for DHHS from 2007-16 and was instrumental in spearheading planning efforts for this event, which was first held in 2011.
A free online home buying seminar sponsored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Montgomery County will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17. The seminar will be led by Bill Rozek from Embrace Home Loans.
Mr. Rozek will cover many topics that could lead to getting approved to purchase a home.
Among the topics to be addressed are:
How to get approved in this highly competitive market.
Homebuying grants available and how to qualify for them.
How to get approved with a Tax ID number and no Social Security number.
How to get approved with a 1099 form without using tax returns.
How to improve credit scores.
How to invest in a rental property without tax returns.
The number of adults and children experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County increased by 313 people since last year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) survey report released May 10. The PIT survey is part of an annual regional analysis and report that started in 2001.
According to the 2023 report, all nine jurisdictions in the Metropolitan Washington area included in the survey recorded an increase in the number of persons experiencing homelessness when compared to the 2022 count.
Montgomery County’s PIT count was conducted on the night of Jan. 25 as part of the nationwide effort to count people experiencing homelessness, including:
Individuals who are unsheltered and living outside.
Individuals who are staying in an emergency or hypothermia shelter.
Individuals who are living in transitional housing where they receive supportive services designed to help them move into some form of permanent housing.
Individuals no longer experiencing homelessness and who are now living in permanent supportive housing or other permanent housing and receiving supportive social services.
The count is a snapshot of one given night, and the numbers should be considered within the context of year-round numbers.
Montgomery County’s survey counted 894 adults and children experiencing homelessness and residing in shelters, transitional housing, or who were unsheltered. This includes 611 adult-only households and 85 families with minor children. While this year’s count shows a significant increase over 2022, there has been a 13-percent decrease over the past 10 years. As part of the effort to help find permanent housings, the County’s Continuum of Care (CoC) was able to assist 395 adult-only households and 106 households with minor children exit homelessness in 2022.
The CoC is a public-private partnership that includes State and local government agencies, nonprofit service providers, landlords and other stakeholders who have a role in preventing and ending homelessness. Led by the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, the CoC works to provide a continuum of housing services to individuals and families, including outreach and engagement, emergency and transitional shelter, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing. Case management is provided with an emphasis on removing housing barriers and connecting people with housing, employment, disability entitlements and other mainstream services. The continuum also utilizes a range of prevention initiatives, including emergency financial assistance, rent subsidies and energy assistance to prevent the loss of permanent housing.
Of the 726 adults counted, 29 percent did not have Montgomery County residency and were not able to demonstrate a loss of housing in Montgomery County. Another 20 percent have an assigned housing match but have been unable to sign a lease because of continued barriers with accessing housing. The barriers include a denial due to credit or criminal background or monthly housing costs exceeding program limits. For comparison, in December and January of 2021 and 2022, an average 162 households were housed in those two months. In this past December and January, only 39 households were able to move into housing.
"When the pandemic first began in early 2020, it was estimated that homelessness nationally would increase by 40 percent, and we are clearly seeing that in our community," said County Executive Marc Elrich. "There are many factors that have contributed to the increase, but we as a community continue to be committed to making homelessness rare, brief, and one-time only. While we are seeing an increase in homelessness in the community, I am proud that we were able to expand our ability to provide temporary shelter to the homeless by opening the new Nebel Street Shelter during the pandemic. Shelters are a necessary and important part of our continuum of services."
In 2022, Montgomery County’s CoC served 1,775 households through emergency shelter, transitional housing and outreach. This included 200 families and 1,575 adult-only households for a total of 2,312 adults and children supported. On the night of the count, the Continuum was providing 2,906 beds in permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing and other permanent housing options – a 14 percent increase over 2021.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Evan Glass today joined Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Congressman Jamie Raskin and community leaders in Silver Spring as the County’s Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) dedicated its newest affordable senior community, “The Leggett.” The 267-unit, 16-story complex was named for former County Executive Isiah Leggett, who was a strong advocate for affordable housing.
Among the many people attending the ceremonies were Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, members of the County Council, former Congresswoman Connie Morella and former staff of Mr. Leggett’s administration.
Located at 1315 Apple Ave. in Silver Spring, The Leggett is a mixed-income, multi-use community that sets a standard for senior apartment living. The newly constructed building offers one- and two-bedroom units for County residents 62-and-over, with 238 units set aside as designated affordable. It was built above a new County recreation center that will open soon. The first tenants in The Leggett are scheduled to move in later this month.
Under Mr. Leggett’s leadership as County Executive from 2006 to 2018, Montgomery County expanded affordable housing funding; maintained or constructed 77,000 affordable housing units; and invested in countywide measures to improve the quality of life for senior adults.
The Leggett complex will include the+ new 133,000-square-foot South County Regional Recreation and Aquatic Center. The center is part of a public-private partnership between HOC and Lee Development Group in the Central Business District of Silver Spring. It will offer a state-of-the art recreational facility with basketball courts, a public Olympic size pool, a therapy pool, spa, a gym, exercise and weight rooms, movement and dance studios and a culinary arts kitchen. The complex is near an extension of the Capital Crescent Trail.
Montgomery County Dedicates New Affordable Senior Apartment Community in Silver Spring That Is Named for Former County Executive Isiah Leggett
Under requirements of Montgomery County law, the Voluntary Rent Guideline (VRG) is updated annually to represent the prior year increase in the rental component of the Consumer Price Index for the Washington Metropolitan Area. Based on that, the VRG for Montgomery County has been set at 5.8 percent. That guideline went into effect on Feb. 24.
The VRG for 2022 was 0.4 percent.
Per the County law, a notice of rent increase must be in writing and delivered to a tenant at least 90 days prior to the effective date of the rent increase.
The limit on rent increase notices applies to all County-licensed residential rentals, including rental units in multifamily buildings, houses, townhouses, individual condominium units and accessory dwelling units.
In the absence of a formal rent stabilization mechanism, the County’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs encourages all licensed residential rentals to refrain from increasing rents by more than the 2023 VRG. The established guideline reflects the inflationary pressures of the real estate industry in the Washington metropolitan area.
Montgomery County’s annual “Point-In-Time (PIT) Street Count is scheduled for the overnight hours of Wednesday, Jan. 25, and volunteers are needed to help survey unsheltered individuals and households. The County Continuum of Care, the County’s local planning body that coordinates housing, services and funding for homeless families and individuals, organizes the effort in partnership with service providers in the community.
Volunteers are needed to survey unhoused neighbors. Volunteers will receive training, be organized in teams and go out to designated locations where it is believed unsheltered persons may be located. Training will be provided to fully prepare volunteers to engage with people experiencing homelessness and administer the survey.
The PIT count is done throughout the United States. It is a way to identify people who might be residing on the streets, in cars, on campgrounds, under bridges or in similar places.
The information gathered is used at the local, State and Federal levels to allocate resources for individuals and households requiring homelessness assistance. The annual count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to qualify for Federal funding.
“The annual Point-In-Time count is truly an all-hands-on-deck team effort by government, our community partners and volunteers. I encourage willing and interested Montgomery County residents to come out and volunteer,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “The information we gather from this event is critical to our efforts in ensuring that homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring in Montgomery County.”
There will be a hybrid training at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Mid-County Department of Health and Human Services Building, which is located at 1301 Piccard Drive in Rockville. The in-person training is recommended for first-time volunteers, with the hybrid option for returning volunteers. Register to volunteer here by Jan. 20.
For more information about the Continuum of Care and the County’s vision of ‘Housing for All,’ visit its website. Questions about the PIT Count can be emailed to HHSPIT@montgomerycountymd.gov.
The Montgomery County “Design for Life” program provides property tax incentives to make homes accessible for all ages and stages of life. Information about the program is now available from the Department of Permitting Services (DPS), which issues permits and certifies Design for Life projects.
Accessible features of a Design for Life home include no-step entranceways, wider doorways, interior elevators, properly installed grab bars, maneuverable kitchens and bathrooms.
Watch the program on-demand and learn more about living comfortably through all ages and stages of life—from a young parent with a baby stroller to an athlete on crutches to older adults who are aging in place.
Ms. Lucas said it is important to get the word out about the Design for Life program to make sure more homeowners and home builders know about the incentives and get certified for the program.
Montgomery County has announced financial support for efforts by the Leeland Tenants Association in Takoma Park to purchase their building, helping facilitate homeownership for the longtime tenants. The County committed $281,250 over three years using funds from the recently created Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund (AHOF).
Leeland Apartments is a 15-unit, garden-style apartment building located at 112 Lee Ave. in Takoma Park. The tenant association plans to convert it into a limited equity co-op structure.
The Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund is a dedicated pool of $20 million of revolving County funds established to combine with private lending for short-term loans to acquire and preserve affordable properties, maintain affordability and protect tenants from displacement. The National Housing Trust Community Development Fund (NHTCDF) is the fund manager, coordinating applications from developers and arranging private capital to combine with Montgomery County funds to respond rapidly to opportunities.
“This is great. I am pleased that we are able to help these long-time tenants become homeowners,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “The new Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund is designed to provide critical, readily available funding to acquire properties to preserve affordability and protect tenants from displacement. Expanding homeownership is an important goal of my administration and part of a successful affordable housing strategy. I want to thank Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart and Delegate Lorig Charkoudian for their efforts. I also want to recognize the pivotal role played by Mi Casa, which helped the association put the financial package together so that the tenants’ association could acquire this property.”
The tenant association’s short-term financing package to purchase the building includes the County’s $281,250 AHOF loan, a $532,000 private loan, a $1,437,500 loan from City First Enterprises and a $250,000 loan from NHTCDF. The latter two loans, arranged by NHTCDF, more than achieves the minimum three-to-one private lending match for AHOF loans. In addition, there is a $600,000 grant managed by the City of Takoma Park, which came from the State of Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development. The loan closing occurred on Nov. 2, at which point the tenant association took ownership of the property.
"This exciting project illustrates what we can do when local, County and State governments work with residents to help move people from renting to owning their home," said Takoma Park Mayor Stewart. "This is a model in agency collaboration, and we should expand it across Montgomery County to preserve affordable housing."
The State’s commitment also played a key role in making the process work.
"We need multiple approaches and models to ensure sufficient, inclusive and affordable housing in our community,” said State Delegate Charkoudian. “I was thrilled to work with the tenants of the Leeland in their persistent and creative efforts to transition the apartment complex into a housing co-op, thus ensuring the long-term affordability of these units. I am proud that the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development played a critical role in the package. I look forward to continuing to work with the community, State and local government to expand affordable housing."
Leeland Apartments includes two units serving households at or below 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI); four units serving households with income between 30 and 50 percent AMI; five units serving households with income between 50 and 60 percent AMI; and four units serving households with incomes between 60 and 80 percent AMI.
“We are proud to partner with Montgomery County, the City of Takoma Park, Mi Casa and the Leeland Tenants Association to provide this unique and first-of-its-kind financing,” said Alex Cabral, director of lending at National Housing Trust. “We really appreciated our partners’ willingness to come up with this creative approach to tenant ownership and look forward to supporting future efforts to preserve affordable housing in the community.”
Montgomery County is applying every available policy tool and financial resource to help reduce housing cost burdens by increasing the number of affordable, rent-regulated housing units; providing rent supports; and preserving current affordable housing while protecting tenants from displacement.
“DHCA participated in the successful real estate transaction that empowers tenants to purchase their property,” said Aseem K. Nigam, director of the County’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs. “We continue to work with our fund manager in leveraging the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund to preserve housing affordability and protect tenants from displacement.”
For more information on Montgomery County’s housing program, see the DHCA Annual Report.
The Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) participated in financing, with a 40-year Housing Initiative Fund (HIF) loan of $5,342,517, to support preservation and renovation of 177 affordable units at Parkside Landing Apartments in Rockville. Through lending, DHCA supported preserving 118 affordable units and producing 59 additional affordable units – for a total of 177 units now priced affordably.
Parkside Landing Apartments has a total of 236 garden-style, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment units. The City of Rockville’s public housing agency, Rockville Housing Enterprises, Inc. (RHE), acquired the apartment property in 2012 to preserve the affordable rental community and recently completed a full renovation.
A ribbon cutting and grand reopening celebration for the project was held earlier this week. Until recently, the property was called Fireside Park Apartments.
“We continue working to protect, preserve and produce dedicated affordable housing,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “At Parkside Landing, we protected tenants from displacement; preserved 118 existing affordable units; and produced, through lending agreement, 59 additional affordable housing units. Together, we achieved 177 affordable housing units near Metrorail that have been modernized, with energy efficiency improvements. More broadly, we have $140 million available for affordable housing in FY23, with $100 million of that for capital lending. We have dedicated at least $40 million of that capital lending to preserve affordability of up to 700 units facing increasing rent pressures, including properties near transit like the Purple Line.”
The HIF loan provided by Montgomery County supports income-restricted affordability for 177 of the 236 apartment units. That means 18 housing units are priced for tenants with incomes at 30 percent of the area median income (AMI); 159 units are priced at 60 percent of the AMI; and 59 units are priced at market rate.
Other project financing was provided by four percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Maryland CDA Tax Exempt Bond financing (permanent and construction loans), State of Maryland Rental Housing Works, a grant from the City of Rockville, energy subsidies and deferred developer fee equity. The existing PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) remained in place. The total project cost is approximately $63 million.
Parkside Landing is located within walking distance of the Rockville Metro Station and Downtown Rockville and is adjacent to Dogwood Park. Supportive services available to residents include after-school tutoring, health and wellness supports and adult financial literacy training.
“DHCA continues working with affordable housing developers to protect tenants, preserve our existing affordable housing and produce new affordable housing,” said Aseem K. Nigam, director of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs. “At Parkside Landing, we preserved and produced 177 affordable housing units within walking distance of transit.”
The in-unit renovations included new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and individual HVAC units. The project also included renovation of common and exterior areas such as architectural enhancements, landscaping, drainage, doors and locks, balcony repairs, insulation, rental office, community programming area with internet, and more.
Montgomery County is applying every available policy tool and financial resource to help reduce housing cost burdens by increasing the number of affordable, rent-regulated housing units; providing rent supports; and preserving current affordable housing while protecting tenants from displacement.
For other recent news about affordable housing in Montgomery County, see:
The fourth phase of Montgomery County’s COVID-19 rent relief program has reopened and is now accepting applications from eligible renters who either did not fully complete their previously submitted application or want to submit a new application for review.
The previous deadline to submit applications was June 30 for the program that provides financial assistance for tenants who have experienced a financial hardship due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The program is administered by the County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
“I am pleased to announce the reopening of the rental relief program,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We have additional funds to distribute, and we know that the need for this assistance has not gone away. The impact of this pandemic will be with us for quite some time, so I urge eligible residents who are in need to not delay and apply today.”
The rent relief program launched in May 2020 and as of July 24, had distributed $79.1 million in financial assistance. Funding for the fourth phase was provided by U.S. Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance funds in direct allocations to the County and as a sub-grantee to the State of Maryland.
Based on the number of applications received to date for the fourth phase, it is anticipated that there will be additional funds within the program to support eligible residents. Applications will continue to be processed based on priority factors including income, eviction risk and geographic location.
Visit www.mc311.com/rentrelief to apply online or log into an existing account to continue a previously started application.
If someone previously registered to set up an online account or started an application before the prior deadline, they can log into their account to continue completing the application. There is no need to submit another application. Only submitted applications will be reviewed for assistance.
Residents who have already applied can check the status of their application through the online portal. DHHS continues to process cases daily. Once a case is assigned, applicants will be contacted by an assigned case worker via email, mail or telephone.
An email address is needed to complete an application. If someone does not have an email address, it is strongly encouraged that they set one up or connect with the property manager/landlord who can apply on their behalf. People in households without internet access or who need assistance completing the application should call 311 (240-777-0311) to get connected with County staff or partners for assistance in completing an application.
Renters facing an immediate loss of housing should call 311 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. to be connected with DHHS’ Housing Stabilization Services. More information about the rent relief program is available at www.mc311.com/rentrelief.
Eligible Montgomery County renters can soon apply for additional COVID-19 rent relief through the fourth phase of the County’s Rent Relief program, which provides financial assistance for tenants that have experienced a financial hardship due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Administered by the County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the program will accept applications starting on Monday, May 16, through June 30.
“Addressing the economic impacts of the pandemic will take a sustained and intentional effort by governments at all levels,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We want our most vulnerable families that have been negatively affected by COVID-19 to be able to stay in their homes, and this fourth phase of rental relief funds will help us do just that. Thank you to our state and federal partners who have helped our County in this collective work to keep our families whole.”
Funding for the fourth phase comes from U.S. Department of the Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance funds in direct allocations to the County and as a sub-grantee to the State of Maryland. In the previous three phases of the program, $78 million in rental assistance has been distributed to approximately 10,500 Montgomery County households.
To be eligible for funds, households must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:
Have experienced COVID-19 financial hardship.
Have a household gross income from either their 2020 or 2021 tax return or the previous 30 days that is at or below 50 percent of area median income.
Have resided in Montgomery County since at least August 2021.
Have an obligation to pay rent, formally or informally.
Be behind on their rental obligation by at least two months.
Applicants will be asked to answer questions about COVID-19’s impact on their household and some questions about household members, income and rent. They should be prepared to upload supporting documents and have the landlord’s information available. Applicants will need an email address to complete the application. If they do not have an email address, they should consider setting one up or connect with the property manager or landlord ,who can apply on their behalf.
People in households without internet access or who need assistance completing the application should call 311 (240-777-0311) to get connected with County staff or partners that can assist them in completing an application.
Renters facing an immediate loss of housing should also call 311 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday to be connected with DHHS’ Housing Stabilization Services. For more answers to frequently asked questions about Phase Four, visit www.mc311.com/rentrelief.
Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) participated in the financing of "Sandy Spring Village" to create affordable housing for seniors. The innovative conversion of a three-building office complex into 56 one- and two-bedroom apartment homes for residents ages 62-and-over will begin soon.
The office complex is located at 17810 Meetinghouse Road in Sandy Spring. The 2.67-acre property includes three buildings that were built around 1977. In addition to the 56 affordable units, the converted community will include a clubhouse, a courtyard, an exercise facility and a picnic and recreation area. It is expected that the project will be completed in early 2023.
“Adaptive reuse of commercial buildings is part of our strategy to expand affordable housing and it is exciting to have another housing option for our senior population,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “The County loan package will support rents for people with incomes from 40 percent to 60 percent of the area median. Increasingly, we are focusing on creating deeply affordable housing because we have almost 50,000 households in Montgomery County with incomes up to about $50,000 per year who pay more than half their income for rent.”
To support the acquisition and adaptive reuse of the commercial property as affordable housing, the County provided a $3.8 million Housing Initiative Fund loan and a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement. The County loan package supports four apartment units priced for tenants with incomes of 40 percent of the area median income (AMI), five units priced at 50 percent of the AMI and 47 units priced at 60 percent of the AMI.
Other project financing includes four percent Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity, State of Maryland Rental Housing Works funding of $2.5 million, senior financing, a deferred developer fee and equity.
The adaptive reuse conversion is being developed by KCG Development, a mixed-use and multifamily housing developer headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. Project Partners include Moseley Architects, Commercial Construction, christopher consultants, Avens + Heath, Lerch, Early & Brewer, Pando Alliance and Winthrop and Weinstine. KCG Development intends for construction on the property to begin in the coming weeks.
“As a Montgomery County resident, I am proud to see the County thinking differently about housing options for seniors,” said KCG Vice President of Development Stacy Kaplowitz. “It is an honor to be welcomed into the historic Sandy Spring community and we look forward to transforming this property into a vibrant, affordable community for older adults.”
Montgomery County is applying every available policy tool and financial resource to help reduce housing cost burdens by increasing the number of affordable, rent-regulated housing units; providing rent supports; and, preserving current affordable housing while protecting tenants from displacement.
Montgomery County has dedicated its new Nebel Street men’s emergency shelter in Rockville with 200 beds that will be available year-round for those in need. The County’s previous policy offered limited access to shelter from April to October. During hypothermia season, shelter bed capacity expanded, but without support services or day-time operations.
The shelter was formally opened on March 5 in ceremonies attended by County Executive Marc Elrich, County Councilmembers, County Department of General Services (DGS) Director David Dise, County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director Raymond Crowel and representatives from the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless. Photos from the event can be viewed here.
Although emergency shelter does not end homelessness, the expansion of year-round beds and the new facility ensure that people do not have to sleep outside and can rapidly connect to housing resources. It is expected that the shelter will serve 800-1,000 men annually.
The Nebel Street facility is a critical component of the County’s homeless programs that will provide emergency shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness and will provide greater associated services, including primary care, behavioral health and employment services.
“This new space will provide shelter and services to the County's residents for years to come,” said DHHS Director Crowel. “Our goal is to prevent homelessness, but when it does happen, this will be a safe and supportive space where people can get help in finding a new home.”
The County Department of General Services purchased the two-story building to provide sleeping quarters, meals and medical and case management services. The 32,000 square-foot building was renovated from commercial office use to a homeless shelter with 200 beds and sleeping and living areas. The estimated project cost was $17.1 million.
“The Nebel Street Shelter project is among the best examples of interagency and inter-department cooperation you can hope to see,” said DGS Director Dise. “Every part of County government, public utilities and agencies stepped up to make a project that would typically take 12 months, completed in half that time. This demonstrates the best in public service, as well as Montgomery County’s commitment to serve the homeless among us. Special thanks to the DGS team that lead the way.”
The facility will enable the County to implement its new emergency shelter policy so individuals have a temporary place until they are connected to permanent housing. The facility will be operated by the County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH), one of the County’s nonprofit partners. MCCH has been providing homeless services in the community for more than 30 years.
“The new Nebel Street shelter will accelerate MCCH’s partnership with the County, providing emergency shelter with supportive services to meet the urgent needs of men experiencing homelessness and return them to stable housing as quickly as possible,” said Susie Sinclair-Smith, CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless.
For more information on the project, visit the DGS website.
The Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund can provide grants or loans for delinquent mortgage payments, past due association fees, past due real estate taxes and for repairs and energy efficiency improvements. Eligibility is based on income and COVID-19 impact. Owner occupancy is required.
Housing counselors will help in understanding additional relief options based on specific circumstances. They can assist homeowners in finding a solution that works best. Additional HUD Approved housing counseling organizations can be found here.
A $248 million Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund was opened this week to support mortgage relief, home repairs, housing counseling and legal services. The program will be administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).
Funds will be distributed in the following targeted amounts:
Approximately $171 million to provide loans to assist homeowners who have experienced financial hardship with their mortgages and $34 million to provide grants to assist with property tax, homeowner association and other types of delinquencies.
$10 million for the WholeHome program to help homeowners with necessary repairs and energy efficiency improvements.
$8 million for housing counseling agencies and $3 million for legal services providers to help homeowners navigate the foreclosure process.
$22 million for program case management, administration and marketing and outreach to ensure eligible homeowners, including minority populations and those in especially hard-hit areas, are aware of the relief.
“Maryland was one of the first three states whose plans were approved by the U.S. Treasury in late November,” said Secretary Kenneth C. Holt. “Our team has been working diligently to ensure we are one of the first states to deploy this assistance to those who need it most.”
Marylanders currently experiencing issues with their mortgage should contact their mortgage servicer—the company that processes their monthly payment—to inquire about forbearance and loss mitigation options. To be connected to housing counseling and legal services, call 1-877-462-7555. DHCD is awarding $4.4M in Fiscal Year 2022 to 29 housing counseling and legal services agencies that can help Marylanders access Homeowner Assistance Fund relief.
The Homeowner Assistance Fund will assist applicants who were unemployed or underemployed on or after Jan. 21, 2020, resulting in mortgage delinquency or forbearance and other types of homeowner delinquencies. Marylanders can determine their eligibility and apply by visiting homeownerassistance.maryland.gov and clicking on “Check Eligibility” under "Get Started." For assistance in applying or navigating the application portal, call 833-676-0119, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. or Saturday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The Homeowner Assistance Fund WholeHome Grant will help homeowners who have an emergency repair in their primary residence that they are unable to address because of the financial impact of COVID-19. Without addressing these repairs, it will cause the homeowner to be “involuntarily displaced” from the property. The grant will be capped at $10,000 and will be used to address emergency repairs, including mold remediation, asbestos and lead paint removal, no heat or no air, electrical repairs, plumbing and septic repairs and other structural and maintenance issues. For more information and to apply, go to dhcd.maryland.gov/wholehome or call 877-568-6105.
The Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation (OCFR) within the Maryland Department of Labor is responsible for regulating the mortgage service industry in Maryland. If a homeowner feels that their servicer is not properly participating in the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund, they can report their concern to OCFR by calling 410-230-6077 or by visiting labor.maryland.gov/finance/consumers to submit a complaint.
Visit homeownerassistance.maryland.gov for additional program details, including eligibility information, a document checklist and answers to frequently asked questions.
Season’s Greetings. It’s hard to believe, but once again, we are heading into the holiday season with great concern about the spread of the virus. Even with such an enormous percentage of our population fully vaccinated, COVID-19 cases nationally and locally are skyrocketing. With many families planning to celebrate the holidays with larger gatherings and more travelling, I am worried about the potential of massive outbreaks that could put a strain on our hospitals and healthcare systems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health experts are asking that people not host or attend gatherings if they are sick or have symptoms and not travel unless fully vaccinated. Although you have heard these tips for nearly two years now, they can’t be repeated enough: wash your hands, socially distance when possible and mask up.
It is also important to get tested before and after large holiday gatherings. Fortunately, many of you are getting tested as we are seeing thousands come out to our County-operated and private sector testing facilities. We have seen nearly a three-fold increase at our County’s COVID testing sites as compared to just a month ago in November.
Unfortunately, many of these locations are running out of capacity due to overwhelming demand. For the coming week, we are asking everyone to make an appointment to ensure you can get a test and avoid frustration. However, there will be no testing at County sites on Dec. 24, 25 and 26. To make an appointment at a County test facility, go to montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/testing.html.
We also know that there is demand for rapid tests and those supplies continue to be extremely limited. We distributed the ones the County received to be used with our most vulnerable populations, which include the homeless and the homebound, those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and those at increased risk for COVID (or who work with those at increased risk) due to specific occupations, such as construction, frontline service industry, and adult day care. The County continues to order and wait for the arrival of more of these tests to give out to the community.
Cases are soaring
The cyber-attack on the State’s data dashboard at the beginning of the month left us without statewide or local test positivity and case rates for almost three weeks. While we now have some statewide data, we are still waiting for comprehensive County level data. Maryland is reporting a positivity rate of more than 11 percent, which is the highest it has been since the spring of 2020. Data from our County testing sites show a positivity rate in Montgomery County of more than 10 percent, which is the highest it has been since June 2020—just three months into the pandemic. This number does not include test results from our private sector partners.
The Omicron strain is showing up in 73 percent of new COVID cases nationally, according to the CDC. Unfortunately, Maryland has not directed the testing companies to send samples to the State to determine the variant—whether it is the older Delta or the newer Omicron. Having this information would be helpful because nationally, COVID numbers are 10 percent higher than a week ago. Nearly 80 percent of our nation’s intensive care unit beds are already full with COVID-19 patients in one in five of those beds, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In Montgomery County hospitals, the total number of COVID patients hospitalized is 227, the highest we have seen since last February. Both acute care and ICU bed usage by COVID cases have increased.
Governor Hogan noted this past Sunday that this is "probably the worst surge we have seen in our hospitals throughout the entire crisis." Unfortunately, on Monday, he announced he himself had COVID, and we also learned that Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski tested positive this week. Our wishes for mild symptoms and a speedy recovery go out to them and everyone who has contracted Covid.
Vaccinations and boosters are essential
Both Governor Hogan and County Executive Olszewski were fully vaxed and boosted, showing that we will continue to see breakthrough cases. The top concern is our hospitalization rates. Only 9 percent of unvaccinated Marylanders are responsible for 75 percent of our COVID-19 hospitalizations. Nationally, the unvaccinated are five times as high as fully vaccinated currently when it comes to daily cases and are 13 times higher in terms of dying from COVID. These statistics show the tremendous importance of vaccination.
The CDC is reporting this week that Montgomery County is 82.7 percent fully vaccinated. It is good to see that many in our community are taking this latest surge seriously.
We were happy to host a successful “Boosterama” last week at Westfield Wheaton mall. There were 100 residents in line before we opened, and we had to bring in more doses to meet the demand. We boosted and provided first doses to 420 people.
We have administered more than 311,000 boosters to our adult population, yet we still have more than 50 percent of our eligible vaccinated residents that have not taken their boosters. I have asked our health department to conduct outreach to our previously vaccinated individuals and send information about boosters. I am particularly concerned about the 43,000 residents over 65 that still need boosters, and we will target more outreach efforts toward that community.
According to the CDC, 75 percent of those who died of COVID in our country are over 65. (source: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/mortality-overview.htm). If you are in this age group or have a loved one who is, please prioritize getting a booster. You can get more information at govaxmoco.com.
Keeping our children safely in schools is challenging and important
One of the biggest areas of concern of this surge is the impact on our schools and children. Our Department of Health and Human Services is working in concert with Montgomery County Public Schools to find the right balance between keeping our children are safe and healthy while keeping in-class learning as intact as possible after the holiday break.
Let me be clear: We are not going to put our children more at risk to be in a school building as they would be in the community in general. That is why I support the decision by the school administration and supported by our public health team to currently limit extracurricular activities. At the same time, it is critical that we do everything in our power to continue in-class learning.
The learning loss that occurred when schools were virtual, especially for many lower income and minority families, was heartbreaking. Additionally, when children are not in school, many families miss the resources schools provide—such as daily lunches—and they struggle with economic impacts when children are at home and parents can’t work from home. We must all work to avoid these impacts through some very tough weeks ahead.
We are hoping and asking that the families and parents of MCPS students also help keep other students safe by getting their children tested and vaccinated before they return to school. More than 50 percent of our 5-11 population is not yet vaccinated.
Almost 44,000 of those 5-11 have received their first dose and about 30,000 of this group are fully vaccinated.
I strongly urge parents, guardians, family and friends to get our young people their shots. It is really important.
Honoring some of our remarkable County residents
I presented the inaugural Inez Zeigler McAbee and William Harvey Zeigler Humanitarian Award and the 2021 Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Awards at an event last week. This event recognized and honored four of the County’s most distinguished volunteers and community servants.
I was proud to present the first Inez Zeigler McAbee and William Harvey Zeigler Humanitarian Award to Harvey Zeigler, and the Roscoe Nix Awards to Bryon A. Johns, Blanca Kling and Diego Uriburu. These awards are the highest honors our County government can bestow upon residents, and they highlight the tremendous work that people are doing to make this County a better and more equitable and inclusive place.
Inez and Harvey Zeigler both had a lifelong commitment to civil rights, community service and local activism that made it more than appropriate for the Humanitarian of the Year Award to be renamed the Inez Zeigler McAbee and William Harvey Zeigler Humanitarian Award. Although Inez is no longer with us, it was an honor to present the first award to Harvey, who has done so much to fight for human and civil rights in this County.
At 101 years old, Harvey Zeigler remains a community and civic activist, mentor and historian. During his lifelong pursuit for equality and justice, his accomplishments have included striking down job discrimination and promoting the hiring of African Americans in government agencies, including Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. You can watch a short video about Mr. Ziegler at https://youtu.be/Q6e5b-voYMc.
I was also pleased to honor three community leaders with the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Awards. They received these awards for their extraordinary contributions to Montgomery County over the course of their lives. Byron A. Johns has been a longtime advocate for educational equity and is the current education chair for the Montgomery County branch of the NAACP. He co-founded the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence with fellow 2021 Nix Leadership Award recipient Diego Uriburu. You can watch a short video about Byron Johns at https://youtu.be/idpkPJYKgGw.
Diego Uriburu is the co-founder and executive director of Identity, an organization that creates opportunities for Latino and other historically underserved youth to help realize their highest potential and thrive. Identity also works to empower parents to engage in their children’s education and be champions for their success and the success of the community. As I mentioned, Diego co-founded the Black and Brown Coalition with Byron Johns. You can watch a video about Diego Uriburu at https://youtu.be/owOWXYmVroQ.
The third recipient of a Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award was Blanca Kling, who passed away earlier this year. Blanca served Montgomery County residents for four decades as a media spokesperson, community leader and victims’ rights advocate. She had a long track record of public service and a lifetime of dedication to County government and its constituents. You can watch a video about Blanca Kling at https://youtu.be/8y2ka6LPk9s.
Harvey said it best at this ceremony, “If you don’t work together and try to unite together, it's downhill. I’ve tried all these 101 years, and I feel like that’s the only way to do it, is to unite and talk from the heart. Try, and try again. If you fail once, don’t give up. Keep trying.”
My sincere appreciation to the awardees for their great work.
Thank you to everyone who is remembering those in need
As many of us enjoy families and festivities this holiday week, I want to note everyone who is trying to support or help out the thousands of our neighbors, friends and even strangers who are in a tough spot economically, dealing with stress and mental health challenges, or are just down on their luck.
This week I joined my granddaughter at a food and toy distribution event in a Takoma Park Co-Op called “Small Things Matter.” Individuals in need lined the street and greeted us with smiles and appreciation for those who donated and collected these items. I want to thank everyone for making this event happen, along with the hundreds of other charity efforts throughout the County.
On a personal note, I was also proud to watch my granddaughter give her time and heart to those who need help.
I can’t count the number of food, clothing, supplies and toy giveaways I have been to throughout this County over the past 22 months. If there was one consistent community character about Montgomery County, it is our compassion. We are united as a community, empowered by our diversity, and always willing to reach out and assist our neighbors and uplift strangers. I am very lucky that I get to see the good in our people, and that Montgomery County is full of humanitarians.
Thank you, and I wish you and your families a safe and healthy holiday week.
