PROGRESSIVE NEIGHBORS SPEAK UP AT IKE LEGGETT'S TOWN HALL MEETING

Progressive Neighbors joined with tenants in asking probing questions about affordable housing at County Executive Ike Leggett's July 19th town hall meeting in Silver Spring. Steering committee members Shelley Fudge and Mike Tabor pointed to the loss of affordable rental units and pressed Leggett to address the issue by specific measures to restrict the conversions as well as unreasonable rent increases.

Here's how the Gazette reported it:

"Shelley Fudge, who spoke on behalf of Progressive Neighbors, an advocacy group focused primarily on affordable housing, said the county needed to set up mandatory rent controls rather than set voluntary guidelines.
She would like to see the county put a cap on rent increases, prohibit or restrict condo conversions, and assist seniors who are on a fixed income to deal with increase rent, she said.

Leggett was adamant in his opposition to rent control"

Background: While Progressive Neighbors support public subsidies for the construction of new affordable housing in the County as well as increased funding and authority for the County to buy apartments before they are converted to high-end rentals or condos, we do not believe this is enough. A recent Washington Post article states that the county together with tenant organizations and the Housing Opportunities Commission bought 700 units since 1981. While this is worthwhile, it is a drop in the bucket when compared to the almost 12,000 affordable units that were lost in just a two-year period.

We feel the key to providing housing stability to County residents and maintaining the diversity of our county lies in the protection of existing affordable units that are threatened by uncontrolled rent increases and by the conversion of these units to condos. We are looking to the Council Executive and the County Council to take leadership in this area so we do not see the continued erosion of affordable housing units. Talk about future increases in funding for construction of new units should not substitute for concrete action on protecting existing units.