Housing Officials Focus On Providing Affordable Options For Residents, Veterans
At a housing summit Monday, local and federal officials recognized the need for more affordable housing in Montgomery County.
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Nearly 26,500 people in Montgomery County are waiting for assistance to receive a housing voucher or placement in public housing, according to officials who spoke Monday at the Affordable Housing Summit of Montgomery County.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also reported that there are more than 700 homeless veterans living in the DC metro region. The numbers are only expected to grow as nearly a million veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan, according to officials.
The Housing Choice Vouchers, formerly known as Section 8, allow for low-income residents to find affordable housing in the private sector, while public housing is run by the Housing Opportunities Commission and funded by taxpayer dollars.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett acknowledged the lack of housing for returning veterans during a press conference Monday, stating that the nation they serve should provide them with safe housing.
“People that are serving in our armed forces are coming back to a community that doesn’t provide adequate housing,” Leggett said.
Although he recognized issues with the budgets, Leggett said that it’s one of his priorities to find homes for veterans.
During the summit, the nearly 600 attendees listened to eight panels discuss a variety of affordable housing issues—from creating sustainable housing and a trend in multi-family housing, to homelessness issues and housing for veterans and residents with special needs.
John Mendez, of Bethesda Cares, Inc., spoke about the work he does creating relationships with homeless veterans in order to gain their trust and get them the help they need.
“Sometimes it takes a year or two for a veteran to open up,” Mendez said, noting he sometimes carries around cigarettes, even though he doesn’t smoke, so that he can get them to talk to him.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, who was the keynote speaker at Monday’s summit, spoke of President Barack Obama’s pledge to end veteran homelessness by 2015.
“We’re going to do everything to keep that pledge,” Donovan said.
In a year, the federal government has reduced the number of veterans without a home by 18 percent, he reported.
Despite a very tough budget environment, Donovan said, $75 million would be set aside for vouchers.
Yet, beyond finding affordable housing for veterans, others in Montgomery County are still facing issues when it comes to owning a home.
With large down payments and closing costs needed to own a home, for many, the idea of homeownership is out of reach.
In 2010, nearly 37 percent of the county's homeowners spent more than 30 percent of their income on their mortgages, while nearly 54 percent of renters were burdened by their rent payments, according to the county’s planning department.
And although the unemployment number is decreasing, more than 28,800 residents remain unemployed.
Officials from federal, state and local agencies said Monday that they are focusing on creating programs and initiatives that will make it easier for people to afford a home.
This post has been updated.
Speak Out: Do you think there's enough affordable housing in Montgomery County? Do you think home prices are too high?
B Allen
9:33 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Why in their right mind would they want to purchase a home in Montgomery County, when they could live in Frederick, Carroll or other surrounding counties. With the high taxes and trending upward, higher cost of living, higher food prices, services being taken away from taxpayers, taxpayers having to pay for services that we are already pay tax for, more and more illegals on the government coffers here (HEY LEGGETT AND YOU COUNCILMEMBERS, HOW MANY MILLIONS DO YOU TAKE AWAY FROM TAXPAYERS AND GIVE TO ILLEGALS HERE?) What needs to be done is ALL of you need to be voted out and REAL business people take over and turn this place around. YOU PEOPLE are the problem, all the way up to the state house and the white house. We get rid of you, we get rid of the problems we are facing. Just like what happened when we got rid of Jimmy Carter.
jag
12:10 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Good Lord. Not every single article in the history of this site needs to be related back to immigration. It's like a freaking Twilight Zone episode. Absolutely psychotic.
Esther D
11:49 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
What about single mothers with a single child, who work above the proverty level and less than median for the county? No help available.
jag
12:16 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Esther, are you familiar with the county's Housing Opportunities Commission? You almost certainly qualify for an MPDU unit and/or a low-interest loan for closing costs, down payment, etc. The county goes very far out of its way to try and help middle-income, working families. Of course there will always be more demand than supply (who doesn't want affordable housing?), but there are plenty of programs out there to familiarize yourself with.
ED
2:33 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Montgomery County has never been "affordable" by the 30% rule, especially when the Federal minimum wage is only $ 7.25 and this County continues to court minimum wage jobs. Montgomery County recently gave Westfield $ 4 million to bring Costco in ($ 11 per hour) after giving Westfield $ 6 million in 2005 to bring Macy's in. Affordable housing is a problem throughout the DC metropolitan area, yet businesses fight increases in wages and developers are only required to provide 12.5% of their newly built residential units as "moderately priced" in Montgomery County - even as their properties are being upzoned for denser residential units. I have no idea what the answer is, but I do not believe that this issue should result in accessory apartments "by-right" in every single-family home neighborhood - Montgomery County's soon to be proposed answer for "affordable" housing.
Catalystnow
12:48 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Catalystnow
3 seconds ago
Let me throw in something about the Geniuses amongst us. I call them cons. Ed you are right about Wheaton. Bethesda Area, Hampden Lane Townhouses, pay zilch to live in the county and live in 1.6 million dollar homes, under nonprofits such as save the dogs. Then the file for Bankruptcy. I will give you citations,look up 500 Hampden Lane Bethesda. 2 years ago Chevy Chase,Glen Echo, and Potomac opted out of paying taxes,either by claiming business use of homes, or pooling tax breaks for energy upgrades. Now we have the grandparent dumping of New York City, and they get funded. It would be nice for those living and paying taxes here for 10,20,30,40,50 years to have access to what they and we paid for. Also, giving 18 and 20 year old kids from NY, affordable housing here in Bethesda is just wrong.What a racket. Some use our resources for what should be UMD on campus housing. The Ethics are scandalous.
Wheatoner
9:02 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Actually Costco's average wage is more like $17 per hour. You cited WalMart's average wage.
Get Rid of The Council
2:43 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The Council jsut doesn't get it. Life is not about hand outs, were all the vets homeles before they went off to war? I think we should give them the tools to be able to support themselves instead of just handing them a place to live without the tools.
Perhaps shift the money directed to CASA to this program and the problem will be solved with some extra $$$ to spare
Jeff Hawkins
3:43 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The questions:
Speak Out: "Do you think there's enough affordable housing in Montgomery County? Do you think home prices are too high? "
There never has been enough affordable housing in MoCo, the units that are here have to be discreetly placed as to not offend the surrounding neighbors. Let's put it this way.....everybody agrees we need more affordable housing.......and everybody usually agrees...."not in my neighborhood".
The prices of homes in MoCo are high, that's the price of living in an area like this and next to the capital of the free world.
The solution: It is what it is, you can't be all things to all people, you do the best you can. We want MoCo to be an affluent region, certainly we don't want the opposite. Perhaps as one person stated here that maybe we should take funds from helping "illegal" folks and instead help "legal" folks and especially ones that have sacrficed so much.
I've lived here all my life and it's always been an issue. Nearby Frederick County always benefited from being next to MoCo by people living in Frederick and working in MoCo.......now people are commuting from Washington County and other far-off places. It's just plain crazy....
Commentous
8:41 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
I agree that if there are limited funds, they should support our returning military members before supporting others who have not sacrificed for our country.
I do not mind affordable housing in my neighborhood if the housing is shared throughout the county and not steered to certain sections. The county supports (financially and in its decision making) many groups whose focus is affordable housing and business rents in specific areas, such as Wheaton. This effectively dampens housing prices in Wheaton compared to the rest of the County. As a person living in Wheaton, I would like to see efforts to support affordable housing and business rents, and welcome centers, throughout the entire County, rather than just in a few areas. We can say that this is just capitalism, but it isn't. By supporting groups aimed at keeping costs low in Wheaton, the County effectively supports Wheaton as a lower-cost, if not "affordable," center of the County.
On a related note, please support the restaurants at the Taste of Wheaton the Sunday after Mother's Day and throughout the year, all food being equal. The Council focused largely on small businesses' interests in deciding how to redevelop Wheaton instead of on the Advisory Council's wishes. Yet very few of the nearby restaurants have chosen to participate in the biggest event for the Wheaton community. The ones that do show up should be commended for their time and effort and--all food being equal--supported.
ED
10:24 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Commentous - when you say "I do not mind affordable housing in my neighborhood if the housing is shared throughout the county and not steered to certain sections", are you talking about the accessory apartment "by-right" issue I brought up or affordable housing in general? I don't think anyone that chose to live in Wheaton minds affordable housing in their neighborhood - Wheaton is a highly affordable area and has more than it's share of "affordable" units supported with County funds. If you are talking about the accessory apartment issue, it will not apply to newer developments that have HOA's, condo's, or to certain municipalities. It seems to me it is specifically designed to affect older areas such as Wheaton. Without stricter housing enforcement, the areas that are currently suffering the effects of the illegal boarding houses and illegal accessory apartments will now have "legal" accessory apartments added to the illegal ones.
Commentous
10:33 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
ED-Excuse my ignorance. What is the accessory apartment "by right" issue? If it simply legalizes 12-person houses with multiple families, then I've got a problem with it. I really don't know so any info is appreciated. Thanks.
ED
11:14 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Commentous - right now, if someone wants to have a legal accessory apartment in their single-family home to rent out, they have to get a Special Exception. This Special Exception procedure requires notification to the neighborhood, various public hearings, and a hearing examiner decides if the accessory apartment is allowed. I don't know about your neighborhood, but in mine, most people forgo any County regulations and either set up "boarding houses" by adding rooms or having accessory apartments in their basements - all illegal because they did not go through the proper procedures. Park and Planning is now proposing that these accessory apartments be permitted ("by-right) in any single-family home that does not have an HOA, condo, or is not in certain municipalities (i.e. Rockville). My concern is that, if these are permitted "by-right" and we know from the current situation that there is no code enforcement on the current illegal ones, how will the County regulate these new ones (even if the law says they can only be 300 feet apart)? There is a public hearing scheduled on this subject on May 21 at 7 pm at the Park and Planning Headquarters in Silver Spring. I suggest that anyone that has concerns show up at this meeting and speak out - otherwise it will go to the County Council and could be approved.
Catalystnow
4:35 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Funding is available; in conjunction with SAMSA, relocation kits to welcome our Heros home.
Catalystnow
4:55 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
I feel preserving our veteran families, and the family unit should get their fair share of funding, as well as all marginalized groups. I am under 62 and disabled, so their is so little funding for my population, virtually none. I applaud any marginalized group getting help. Many poor and minorities, access educations and give their all, through pretty inhumane conditions in the countries the military serves in.We should not be petty and just think of our own situation.
Catalystnow
12:46 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Let me throw in something about the Geniuses amongst us. I call them cons. Ed you are right about Wheaton. Bethesda Area, Hampden Lane Townhouses, pay zilch to live in the county and live in 1.6 million dollar homes, under nonprofits such as save the dogs. Then the file for Bankruptcy. I will give you citations,look up 500 Hampden Lane Bethesda. 2 years ago Chevy Chase,Glen Echo, and Potomac opted out of paying taxes,either by claiming business use of homes, or pooling tax breaks for energy upgrades. Now we have the grandparent dumping of New York City, and they get funded. It would be nice for those living and paying taxes here for 10,20,30,40,50 years to have access to what they and we paid for. Also, giving 18 and 20 year old kids from NY, affordable housing here in Bethesda is just wrong.What a racket. Some use our resources for what should be UMD on campus housing. The Ethics are scandalous.
Catalystnow
1:10 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Finally,
I have a prediction, we will be the next Vermont,due to all the laws passes here to support transgender, and gay couples. I have no hate for these people but in 10 years I would venture to say 20-35% of the MC population will be representative of these new folks.
REBECCA
12:55 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
I have lived in montgomery county for 17yrs. I have applied for Rental Assistance twice only to be turned down. HOC and MPU same Section 8 same. Where did allmy taxes I paid go? Where does all this help go? I have worked for over 15years and paid my taxes now I am disabled, I receive less than a $1,000 a month and my rent is $1,548 a month. I get no help why can someone answer my questions and direct me to the Housing Officials please. Becky