Workforce Housing

CURRENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

(July 31, 2007)  Amended Executive Regulation 18-06AM, "Requirements and Procedures for the Workforce Housing Program" was approved by the County Council.  This is the current, approved regulation for the new program.

(June 1, 2007)  Proposed amended Executive Regulation 18-06AM, "Requirements and Procedures for the Workforce Housing Program" will be available for public review and comment.  Written comments will be accepted by the Department of Housing and Community Affairs through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 29, 2007.

(December 1, 2006) The Workforce Housing Temporary Executive Regulation 18-06T is in effect for the next 90 days.

September 1, 2006)  Proposed Executive Regulation 18-06, "Requirements and Procedures for the Workforce Housing Program" will be available for public review and comment.  Comments are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2006.

(July 11, 2006)  The Montgomery County Council voted 9 to nothing to approve Bill 30-05, Housing - Workforce Housing.  Please be aware that there is no Workforce Housing program in place at this time.  Please read below for information on the status of the Workforce Housing program.

(June 27, 2006)  The full Montgomery County Council will review Bill 30-05, Housing - Workforce Housing, in its June 27, 2006 worksession.  This bill is scheduled to be reviewed at 10:30 a.m.

(June 20, 2006)  The full Montgomery County Council will review Bill 30-05, Housing - Workforce Housing, in its June 20, 2006 worksession.  The council did not compete its review and will continue its review at its June 27, 2006 worksession.

(June 12, 2006)  The Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) Committee of the Montgomery County Council completed its series of worksessions on Bill 30-05, Housing - Workforce Housing on June 12, 2006 and sent it to the full Council for its review at its June 20, 2006 worksession.

Background

"Workforce Housing" is generally defined as housing (rental and for sale) that is affordable to households earning between 70 and 120 percent of the median income for the Washington metropolitan area (in 2006, the Washington median household income is $90,300 for a family of four). 

In Montgomery County, Workforce Housing is intended to be housing affordable to households whose incomes are too high to be eligible to participate in the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) Program.  For a family of four in 2008, this would represent a maximum annual household income between $83,000 and $128,500, depending on the number of persons in the household (please refer to the chart below).

Household Size	Maximum Income Allowed to be Eligible for Workforce Housing*
1 Person	$ 83,000
2 Persons	$ 95,000
3 Persons	$ 107,000
4 Persons	$119,000
5+ Persons	$128,500

(*- Incomes as of March, 2008)

The Workforce Housing law only applies to developments in certain high density, transit-oriented zones in the County, and only to future, new developments that are approved by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC).

As written, the Workforce Housing bill will require developers of projects with 35 units or more, and which are located in Metro Station Policy Areas in the County, to provide 10 percent of the units as Workforce Housing units.  In addition, when the County makes county-owned land available for residential development through a competitive process, it requires that a Workforce Housing component be included (for example, the Lot 31 development in downtown Bethesda is planned to include 35 Workforce Housing units).  If approved, the Workforce Housing requirements will apply in the following locations:

• Silver Spring Metro Station Policy Area
• Friendship Heights Metro Station Policy Area
• Bethesda Metro Station Policy Area
• Grosvenor Metro Station Policy Area
• White Flint Metro Station Policy Area
• Twinbrook Metro Station Policy Area
• Shady Grove Metro Station Policy Area
• Glenmont Metro Station Policy Area
• Wheaton Metro Station Policy Area