Montgomery County Council president warns inflation fueling rent crisis
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - The head of the Montgomery County Council is warning that inflation could cause a new affordable housing crisis in Maryland's largest county.
What we know:
Council President Natali Fani-González held a briefing on Monday to sound the alarm that housing costs in Montgomery County are in danger of outpacing salaries and to call for the county to do more to create affordable housing options.
"We need to be more mindful to ensure that people who are just getting out of college have a place to live, and those struggling families," Fani-González said. "Imagine if you’re paying $3,000 a month, and you have children; you’re easily paying 1200 to 2000 a month on childcare."
Zillow’s Observed Rent Index from January 2021 to January 2026 shows that rent in Montgomery County has increased by 24.3% over the five-year period. Currently, the county requires that 15% of new apartment buildings be set aside as affordable units.
The county has also looked at office-to-housing conversions and controversial "missing middle" rezoning to meet the demand.
"We’re looking into neighborhoods where it makes sense to increase density, but it’s a mix of tools," said Fani-González. "But I do feel that wages are not going as fast as inflation."
A new report from Montgomery County’s Office of Legislative Oversight found that the county produced about 1,600 affordable units over five years. But the county still does not have a specific goal for how many affordable units it needs to build or preserve.
During a hearing on Monday, there were questions about what changes in housing policy at the federal level will have on local governments.
"There are already discussions on what the road to housing 2.0 looks like, and I’m excited to be part of some of those conversations," said Montgomery County Councilman Andrew Friedsen.
"I think the evergreen position of the Department of Housing and Community Development is more federal money is better," said Chuck Cook, senior advisor at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments says the DMV needs 320,000 additional housing units by 2030, and its regional goal calls for 75% of those homes to be affordable to low- and middle-income households.
The Source: Information in this article is from Montgomery County officials and Zillow.