Montgomery County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Montgomery County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Removing the ADU owner-occupancy rule (Bill 41-26)
The county is pushing to make in-law apartments and backyard cottages easier to build — the enacted ZTA aligns rules with state law, and a new bill would drop the owner-occupancy requirement and waive fees for landlords who rent at affordable rates for ten years.
Rent-setting algorithm ban (Bill 8-26)
Landlords can no longer use algorithmic software or price coordination to set rents — a response to lawsuits naming 86 county multifamily properties. Aimed at keeping rents down by preventing coordinated pricing across competitors.
Regional Affordable Housing Programs (OLO Report 2026-8)
The average single-family home now tops $1 million while attached homes average about $500,000. Councilmembers pointed to this data as proof the county needs more multifamily and attached housing — and that most new multifamily projects need public financing to pencil.
Local housing targets
The county is way behind pace for its 2030 housing goal — permitting only about 1,300 units in 2025 versus a needed ramp-up. The committee is shaping 2040 and 2050 targets (about 27,000 and 17,000 more units) and a 15% affordable housing goal, with a resolution due before the council term ends.
HOC local preference for households experiencing homelessness
Staff and councilmembers are pushing the Housing Opportunities Commission to prioritize 50–80% of housing choice vouchers for people experiencing homelessness — a best practice the county's continuum of care has sought for over a decade. It could open shelter beds and cut costly crisis response spending.
SHARP rental assistance expansion to individuals
The county's SHARP program — which helped house 354 families since the special appropriation — starts accepting individuals on October 19, with funding to serve 100–120 people. Councilmembers asked for a look-back study on whether past SHARP households stayed housed, to build the case for more funding.
Evictions down 64% under Bill 31-25
Good news: since the expedited eviction bill sponsored by Councilmember Mink took effect, monthly evictions dropped from about 207 to 73 — a 64% decrease. But the law doesn't help with foreclosures, which are increasingly hitting older adults.
Possible transition of county-run urban districts to community-led models
Staff laid out one possible path: shifting Wheaton and Silver Spring toward community-led models like the Bethesda Urban Partnership, business improvement districts, or Main Streets. Community-led models generally outperform government-run ones, staff said, but any transition requires extensive community buy-in — and county-run districts currently own sidewalk repair duties that typical BIDs don't handle.
Viva White Oak Development District special tax
The county is authorizing up to $420 million in bonds to fund the first phase of the VIVA White Oak development, Montgomery County's first TIF project. The financing is tied to the development district, not the county's full faith and credit, and a new amendment keeps the Council in the loop before later debt stages.