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I want to express my appreciation for the Montgomery County Delegation for their tireless work during the 2024 legislative session. Thanks to their diligent efforts, Montgomery County will be receiving $1.1 billion in direct state aid to support our public schools, critical transportation services and public safety. The Maryland General Assembly also enacted consequential legislation, including bills that will make our communities and roads safer, improve transparency in school budgets, and safeguard our most trusted public institutions, our libraries. We congratulate the entire Montgomery County Delegation for a successful legislative session and look forward to our continued collaboration working to support Montgomery County’s 1.1 million residents.
I’m pleased that the Council passed a zoning measure I introduced with Vice President Kate Stewart known as the Facilitating Affordable Inclusive Transformational Housing (or FAITH) ZTA. This zoning measure helps remove obstacles and would increase the supply of affordable housing by allowing the construction of multifamily housing on properties used for faith and educational institutions. We have heard from many faith-based institutions in the County who are committed to taking action to help address the affordable housing crisis, have an oversupply of land and want to contribute in helping their communities have housing stability. Importantly, many houses of worship are located along key transit corridors.
Our mission-driven community partners are at the forefront of supporting our most vulnerable residents and have the resources available to assist with addressing this crisis head on. I’m grateful to our faith-based organizations for sharing their input and appreciative of the support of my colleagues in moving this initiative forward.
The Council also recently approved nearly $20 million to begin funding the new Nonprofit Preservation Fund, which I introduced, to help nonprofit housing providers preserve affordable housing. This historic level of new dedicated funding to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing reflects our meaningful and unyielding commitment to providing accessibly priced housing options for our residents. As the largest investment of its kind across our region, this is yet another tool in our toolkit to combat the housing crisis. This approach is modeled after the extremely successful, nationally recognized Housing Production Fund, which has been replicated in jurisdictions across the nation. Once the program is fully funded at $50 million, we have the potential to preserve roughly half of the at-risk, naturally occurring affordable units in Montgomery County in partnership with our nonprofit housing partners.
The Council is committed to working with our County agencies and partners in law enforcement to address public safety, which is a top concern for residents across the County. I joined County officials, police and local business leaders to share key safety improvements measures aimed at combating crime and improving public safety. Increased police presence, improved street lighting and the new Drone as First Responder Program are just a few steps that have curbed crime in our central business districts, like Downtown Silver Spring. The Council also recently passed legislation that will align the operating hours for hookah lounges and vape shops with establishments that serve alcohol. We will continue working to make our communities safer for all.
Watch a recap of the public safety community event.
The Council recently approved the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan, which re-envisions the areas near and along Maple and Lee Avenues, the Erie Center and the Washington Adventist Hospital and University campuses in Takoma Park. The plan makes recommendations to improve quality of life, guide future development and encourage improvements to the natural and built environments within the plan area. We appreciate our Planning Department staff for their hard work and all the constituents and stakeholders who shared their valuable input throughout the process.
Learn more about the plan.
I was honored to attend the opening of Sodexo’s new North American headquarters at Pike & Rose. Sodexo has a long, committed partnership with Montgomery County, lending significant value and shared values to our community as one of the most sustainable, ethical, and community-oriented companies anywhere. Sodexo employs 435,000 globally, with 5,000 employees in the Washington metropolitan area. This Fortune 500 company has been a key corporate presence in our community for approximately three decades, and we are so excited that they chose to re-establish their headquarters in Montgomery County, right in the center of the Pike District. We thank Sodexo for their ongoing commitment to our community as the company has invested $6 million in the new space and agreed to retain 275 jobs over the next 10 years.
I was honored to join communities across the County in celebrating the holy month of Ramadan. Our Muslim community enriches the great tapestry of our multicultural Montgomery County community. As one of the most diverse counties in the nation, I’m grateful for the continued contributions of our Muslim community and the continued partnerships between our many faith groups in Montgomery County. I hope all residents who observe Ramadan had a month of deep contemplation, peace, and joy.
I encourage residents to continue to engage with my office on issues of importance to our community. We appreciate your patience and understanding as our small but mighty team works to respond to your inquiries. Please continue to engage with us by email, visiting our website, Facebook, and Twitter pages, and subscribing to our newsletter.
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