Rental Housing Study

With Council approval, the Montgomery County Planning Department’s Research and Special Projects Division (RSP) is coordinating with the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) to conduct an 18-24 month study of rental housing in the County that will assess how we can best meet the needs of residents across the income spectrum. Our partners include DHCA, private consulting firm RKG Associates, and an Advisory Committee representing diverse perspectives from the public and private sector. The Planning Department is managing the project contract.

Purpose

The economic trends of Montgomery County and the Metropolitan DC region have exacerbated a rental housing shortage. And providing the appropriate housing stock to meet the demand for affordable housing is a challenge. The purpose of the study is to identify Montgomery County’s rental housing issues and needs, and offer holistic and sustainable approaches to meeting them. A goal of the study is to help guarantee long term affordability of rental housing for a diverse range of households. The study will provide recommendations for increasing the availability of affordable rental housing by determining factors that contribute to increased housing costs, identifying best practices that could be implemented to preserve and add to the affordable rental stock, and recommending potential changes to current policies and programs.

Advisory Committee

The Rental Housing Study’s Advisory Committee composed of representatives from the public, non-profit, and private sector was established to provide input at key intervals of the study. The Committee membership represents County agencies, non-profit housing organizations, private developers, and community stakeholders and will ensure a balanced discourse and study on the provision of rental housing in the County.

Rental Housing Study Final Report

• Rental Housing Study Fact Sheet
• Rental Housing Study Final Report on Recommendations and Tools
• Rental Housing Study Technical Document

News and Events

• Rental Housing Study Montgomery County Council PHED Update, October 2, 2017 – 2:00pm:
  • View the agenda
• Rental Housing Study Montgomery County Council Update, July 18, 2016 – 2:00pm:
  • View the agenda
• Planning Board Update, June 15, 2017
  • View the agenda
• Planning Board Update, March 2, 2017
  • View the agenda
  • View the PowerPoint presentation
• Advisory Committee Meeting, February 10, 2017:
  • View the agenda
  • View the PowerPoint presentation
• Rental Housing Study Montgomery County Council PHED Update, November 28, 2016 – 1:30pm:
  • View the agenda
• Advisory Committee Meeting, August 24, 2016:
  • View the agenda
  • View the PowerPoint presentation
• Planning Board Update, July 14, 2pm – RKG presented a condensed version of their February 22^nd Advisory Board Meeting Presentation:
  • View the PowerPoint presentation
  • View the Agenda
• Advisory Committee Meeting, June 22, 2016:
  • View the agenda
  • View the PowerPoint presentation
• Advisory Committee Meeting, February 22, 2016:
  • View the agenda
  • View the PowerPoint presentation
• Advisory Committee Meeting, September 28, 2015:
  • View the agenda.
  • View the PowerPoint presentation on the project context, study overview, submarket boundaries, policy documents, and next steps.
  • Documents referenced at the meeting:
    • The Existing Montgomery County Rental Policies
    • The adopted 2001 Housing Policy
    • The draft 2012 Housing Policy
    • The adopted Housing Element of the General Plan
    • The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Maryland 2012
    • A PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Lisa Sturtevant on the Housing Market in Montgomery County.
    • View the meeting notes
• View the PowerPoint Presentation from the Advisory Committee’s June 26, 2015 meeting.
• View the June 26, 2015 Advisory Committee meeting summary
• View the PowerPoint Presentation from the Advisory Committee’s April 27, 2015 kickoff meeting.
• View the April 27, 2015 Advisory Committee meeting summary
• Follow the timeline of the study.

Staff Contact

Lisa Govoni, Research & Special Projects Housing Planner
Lisa.Govoni@montgomeryplanning.org
301-650-5624