Leaders will moderate sessions on rental challenges and opportunities at the annual event held by the Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County in North Bethesda
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, presented the findings of their recently completed Rental Housing Study to the Planning Board in March 2017.
On Friday, May 5, Planning Director Gwen Wright and Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson will lead discussions about the study at the 2017 Affordable Housing Summit, held by the Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County. The event will be held at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center (5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda, MD) from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wright will moderate a panel discussion, titled “A Renter’s Market? Rental Challenges and Opportunities in Montgomery County.” Among the speakers is Kyle Talente of RKG Associates, who was a consultant on the Rental Housing Study, conducted on behalf of the Montgomery County Planning Department and the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Anderson will moderate a panel discussion, titled “Anatomy of a Housing Shortage: Supply and Demand in Montgomery County.” One of the panelists will be Lisa Sturtevant, another consultant who worked on the Rental Housing Study.
Titled “Charting the Course: Bold Ideas in a Time of Uncertainty,” the Affordable Housing Summit will focus on persisting challenges and innovative solutions to affordable housing, as well as recent changes in housing policy and funding at the federal and state levels. Session topics include the future of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), innovative methods of financing affordable housing, transit-oriented development and supportive services for vulnerable populations.
Congressman Elijah Cummings of Baltimore will deliver the keynote address at the conference.
For more information about the 2017 Affordable Housing Summit, consult the schedule online.
Key Findings from Rental Housing Study
Rental housing accounts for about 30 percent of the housing supply in Montgomery County and is often concentrated around Metrorail lines and employment centers. Most of the County’s supply consists of older units, with only 14 percent of rental units constructed later than 2000 (55 percent were built prior to 1980). The study reveals that the supply of rental units is unbalanced at both the lowest and highest ends of the housing market. The market is short about 20,000 rental units for households earning less than 30 percent of area median income, which is about $107,000. As a result, 80 percent of households earning less than 30 percent of area median income are cost-burdened. The study sets forth many possible ways to address this problem.
For more information about the Rental Housing Study findings, consult the study’s website.
About the Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County
The Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County (AHCMC) believes that affordable, decent, and safe housing is an inalienable right—and not a privilege—for every American. Its mission is to convene, inform, and empower elected officials, housing and community development leaders, business professionals, activists and residents to work toward affordable housing solutions.
Since its inception in 1991, AHCMC has tackled the challenges and impacts of affordable housing policies and programs at both the local and national level. Through its annual conference, awards programs, seminars, advocacy efforts and roundtable meetings, AHCHC seeks to form coalitions that identify and address issues including workforce housing, mixed-use and mixed-income developments, inclusionary zoning, rental housing preservation, first time home ownership, fair lending, public-private partnerships and housing for people with disabilities.