My team and I are spending the summer attending events across the district and engaging with our community, and we're eager to hear from you! 

We've met residents at farmer's markets, special events, festivals, and more. Engaging with constituents is a wonderful part of my job and we are here to help and answer questions. We hope to see many more of you in the coming weeks! Thank you to all who have stopped by so far. Here is our upcoming mobile office schedule:

Bill 15-23, now titled "Rent Stabilization" legislation, passed on Tuesday, July 18th in a 7-4 vote at the full Council and was signed into law by County Executive Elrich on Monday, July 24th. 

This is complex legislation and we will continue to monitor its impact. I am optimistic about its passage and voted for the bill, as this legislation is essential to ensure renters and landlords have predictable, safe, and secure housing and rent increases. As the Councilmember representing District 4, which has the most renters in the county, I know the outcomes of this work will significantly impact the residents in our district. 

We are facing an unprecedented housing crisis related to the availability of homes and affordability. As we address the situation, our goals of ensuring stable, safe, and affordable homes must be at the forefront. While rent stabilization is not the sole solution to our affordable housing crisis, it is a proven tool to address and advance these goals for renters. This legislation will protect people from excessive rent increases by creating a schedule for reasonable and gradual increases while ensuring that landlords receive a fair return on their investment. Rent stabilization can rapidly stabilize prices, halt rent gouging, and reduce the risk of displacement and homelessness while increasing housing security and affordability over the long term.

The benefits of a rent stabilization policy helps create stable communities. Many have noted that increased housing stability and affordability have a positive ripple effect across the communities. Renters will be more economically secure, with more resources to spend on other household needs, boosting local economies. Residents will also experience better health as stability contributes to improved mental and physical well-being. Additionally, children will perform better in school as frequent moves can hamper education, and our democracy will grow stronger as stability increases civic and political participation.

However, I recognize that the legislation adopted must also provide landlords and builders with a fair return on their investment. We need to ensure they can maintain their properties and not discourage new housing from being built. For this reason, I agreed to a number of policy compromises. Specifically, the legislation will:

• Sets the rate at 3 percent plus local inflation (CPI-U) with a hard cap at 6 percent (noting the average rental increase over the last 40 years has been below 3 percent);
• Creates a 23-year exemption for new construction projects;
• Exempts Housing Opportunities Commission and other affordable housing units;
• Allows landlords to bank unused rental increases to up to 10%;
• Exempts landlords who own two or fewer units;
• Exempts for 23-years buildings that have undergone substantial rehabilitation (40% or more of the value of the building);
• Provides mechanisms for landlords to appeal the rental cap for capital improvements and to ensure fair return of their properties;
• Directs the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) to issue regulations for properties designated as “troubled” or “at-risk” in the county,  and;
• Directs DHCA to establish guidelines for fees and fee increases for rental units that fall under this law.

I appreciate the thoughtful work of all my colleagues in passing the rent stabilization legislation and the protections needed for renters and landlords. Again, I will continue to monitor this legislation. 

It is also worth mentioning in this space that while meeting with some of our building and development community, and because of concerns about the impact tax and the uncertainty and cost faced by builders because of inflation, Councilmember Friedson and I offered, and the Council passed a bill to cap impact taxes. While we are in a housing crisis, I believe we need to make sure we have projects continuing to come online. This legislation will help builders plan, and like rent stabilization, it can flatten out the spikes that create instability.

Earlier in July as the Chair of the Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), I led our 2023 Leadership Retreat. The retreat brought together elected officials and stakeholders from 24 local jurisdictions from the DMV area.

We covered many topics including the future of WMATA and regional economic growth, as well as employment changes, land use, transportation, electric vehicle infrastructure, and housing affordability. 

Coming out of our meeting, MWCOG board members committed to providing regional leadership to meet the challenges WMATA faces and setting the stage for a multi-pronged, coordinated effort to respond to challenges. Read the MWCOG statement for more details.

I thank the Lt Governor for joining us, adding valuable insights to our efforts. We appreciate your support in tackling these challenges.  

On Tuesday July 25th, the council held a public hearing on the countywide Pedestrian Master Plan. This plan will guide work to improve pedestrian safety along our roads for decades to come. To reduce congestion, meet our climate goals, and take action to protect pedestrians amidst this 41-year national high for fatal pedestrian collisions on our roads, we need to hear from YOU as the plan works its way through the council’s committees. Please continue to submit input or testimony to Councilmember.Stewart@montgomerycountymd.gov (note: not by replying to this newsletter–we can only receive messages to the email address above) so we can build a safer Montgomery County.

As we approach the end of summer, we want to express our gratitude to our incredible interns – Amia, Jeymi, and Alli. Their contributions have impressed us, and we are proud of their growth and commitment to public service. We are grateful for their service and are confident they have bright futures ahead.

Guns are the number one killer of children in America and in Maryland. Every year, 350 children living in America under the age of 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else, like a sibling, parent, friend, or another person.

When guns aren’t properly stored, tragedy can strike – whether by a child finding a firearm and injuring or killing themselves, or someone stealing a gun and using it to commit crime. Secure gun storage can prevent both. Storing our guns securely keeps our families and our communities safe. To learn more about best practices for secure firearm storage, please visit Be SMART for Kids. 

As of July 1st, those over 21 can legally purchase cannabis from licensed retailers, thanks to Maryland voters approving a referendum last November to legalize cannabis for adult use. This means that facilities in Maryland, which previously only distributed cannabis for medical use, can now sell to anyone over the age of 21. In other words, July 1st marked the first day Maryland adults could purchase and possess recreational cannabis. The Maryland Cannabis Administration will now oversee the cannabis industry in the state.

Here are three key aspects to know about the new law:

• Smoking cannabis is permitted only in private residences.
• Driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal.
• The medical cannabis program will remain unchanged.

For more details and key information about how the law might affect you, you can find more information here.