EMPOWERING PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES

Our Mission is to inform, educate and support residents who have been traditionally, historically and geographically marginalized in the decision-making process, regarding complicated land-use policies, surrounding housing and transportation issues presented in Thrive Montgomery 2050, Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative (AHSI) and the Pedestrian Master Plan. 

Our purpose is to facilitate a culture of participation by creating equitable access, and meeting people where they are, In their communities. This will be achieved by educating community members on land-use and transportation policies; by providing information and access to opportunities to learn more; by educating community members on how to sign-up and participate in public hearings; by providing computer access when needed; by removing systemic barriers which prevent community members from having a seat at the proverbial table and being their own advocates.

 Montgomery County Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Natali Fani-González have introduced the More Housing N.O.W. (New Options for Workers) package to address the county’s housing crisis by expanding affordable housing options for middle-income workers, including teachers, first responders, and healthcare professionals. The plan focuses on increasing housing supply along key corridors rather than within residential neighborhoods and includes several major initiatives. These include allowing more housing types through the Workforce Housing Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA), creating a Workforce Housing Opportunity Fund to support new development, and streamlining approvals for converting vacant office spaces into housing through an Office to Housing ZTA and tax incentives (PILOT Bill). Additionally, the plan aims to double homeownership assistance funding from $4M to $8M to support first-time buyers. While supporters argue that this plan provides much-needed housing, concerns remain about the potential displacement of existing  residents, lack of protections for naturally occurring affordable housing, and increased strain on local services. With Montgomery County facing rising housing costs and an affordability crisis, the debate over who benefits and who is at risk is intensifying. Click to view interactive map:  https://mcplanning.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=35c44dee1734457185b0604f3ce67e5e 

Thrive Montgomery 2050 is about reimagining how we live, by prioritize walking, biking and rolling in our communities with buses to transport us elsewhere. It is the first comprehensive and actionable plan to bring this vision to reality, by prioritizing pedestrian and bike projects: longer crosswalk times, accessible sidewalks, updated lighting and county control over some state highways. It began with "road diets", that will eliminate car lanes and create protected bike lanes where parking and EV charging stations existed. However, according to the Planning document, the plan's implementation costs exceed funds allocated for pedestrian and safety measures. The Solution presented is to further tax those who can least afford to be taxed and lack access to participate in the political process.