Affordable Cost of Living

The County should also be resourced to make the best possible use of state and federal programs that create affordable housing. Railroad Square in Brunswick is an example of what I would consider a successful project: it meets the need for units that are truly affordable while supporting our downtown revitalization. Railroad Square’s location next to the MARC makes it optimal for commuters who rely on the train, and those who don’t commute might benefit from future public transit infrastructure that brings people to and from the MARC station. The property is highly sought after by renters because the rents are affordable, and nearby businesses appreciate the increased foot traffic the housing has brought. Brunswick’s Council balanced resistance in the community with the need for affordable housing by negotiating for community benefits that supported the rehabilitation of its historic downtown.

Workforce housing and senior housing are two of our communities’ greatest needs, and I support the County making use of its property to create affordable units. Outside of its school buildings, the County should evaluate every building in its inventory and every capital project on the docket to determine whether there is an opportunity for adding affordable units for seniors or for its workforce.

The recent Frederick County Housing Needs Assessment highlights the need to make the permitting and approvals process for housing development more efficient and cheaper, but we need to make sure we’re also building in ways to make developers responsible for adding enough affordable units to meet demand. The county’s current fee-in-lieu system needs to be ended, and the fee structure for the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance should be substantially reworked to ensure developers are accountable for the costs and impacts of the new homes they build. Overall, we need to be much more restrained when it comes to building new single family communities, and more resourceful about finding suitable development sites within existing communities.