attainable housing

Attainable Housing Strategies is not a new concept

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With its endorsement of Montgomery Planning’s Attainable Housing Strategies (AHS) in June 2024, the Montgomery County Planning Board has recommended the county adjust its residential zoning to allow property owners the opportunity to build multi-unit houses in neighborhoods that currently only allow single-family houses. The recommended zoning change aims to meet the county’s growing demand for housing at different price points and with different house types, like those offered in most residential neighborhoods throughout the first half of the 20th century and earlier.

Answers to questions (and misconceptions) about Attainable Housing Strategies

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By Artie Harris and Jason K. Sartori

This blog is also published in Greater Greater Washington as a guest opinion column.

Over the past three years, Montgomery Planning and the Montgomery County Planning Board have heard a lot of passion from people in Montgomery County who are eager to find solutions to the county’s housing crisis. We also heard a lot of misconceptions regarding the Planning Board’s recommendations to relax single-family zoning, also known as Attainable Housing Strategies. That’s why we’re sharing these frequently asked questions about them.

Back in June, the Planning Board issued its Attainable Housing Strategies (AHS) recommendations, which would give property owners more choices in the types of structures they can build on their properties in … Continue reading

Attainable housing is a win for all ages

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By 2034, there will be more adults who are 65 or older than children under the age of 18 for the first time in our nation’s history. People over the age of 80 will surpass 10% of the national population for the first time. In Montgomery County, estimates are that before 2040, 1 in 5 residents will be 65 or older and today, 1 in 3 are 55 or older with 9,000 people turning 65 each year. At the same time, the number of young adults without children is also growing. Although many residential zoned neighborhoods near and outside our urban centers might have benefits, they often present some challenges for aging in place with oversized houses and yards, … Continue reading

FAQ: Curious about our proposal to relax single-family zoning? We’ve got answers.

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By Montgomery Planning staff

This fall, the Montgomery County Council will consider modifying single-family residential zones to help address the county’s severe housing shortage. In June, the Planning Board offered a set of recommendations to the County Council that would allow duplexes, triplexes and other small multi-unit buildings in neighborhoods now restricted to single-family homes. Called Attainable Housing Strategies, the recommendations are an effort to meet the county’s growing demand for housing at different price points and types for all.

The County Council is seeking community feedback at a series of community meetings as part of its review of the recommendations.

Montgomery Planning developed Attainable Housing Strategies. Here are answers to some of the questions we’ve heard most since … Continue reading