Montgomery County Housing Case

The county has long held that the fundamental issue is one of providing affordable housing in Montgomery County ostensibly so that service workers (police, fire, teachers) have access to housing near where they work. Until this point, the issue has been framed in the context that affordable housing the appropriate solution, and the only question is whether developers pay for the housing or whether subsidies are given to homebuyers and renters. However, the issue can be framed differently, and considered from the aspect of what rights or expectations individuals have regarding housing in the first place, which changes the issue significantly.

Montgomery County is an affluent area whose residents have typically had incomes well above not only the norms for the surrounding area, but the norms for the nation as a whole. Attached hou

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but speculation drove prices up so that considerable profit could be made at the end of those five years. Extending the time period of price limits was anticipated to result in a lack of a pride of ownership since only limited returns would be realized on the investment of the homeowners. Some developers recognized that affordable units in their developments made it more difficult to sell their market units, and sought to "buy out" their obligation to build affordable units in a particular development. This could result in the requisite number of units being built within the county, but not in the diversity which also is a goal of some county planners. In this manner, affordable units would be built in separate areas from market-based housing with the result that economic diversity would become more rare. STAKEHOLDERS There are several different stakeholders involved in this issue who have their own goals and priorities. Existing homeowners and their community associations are interested in maintaining the property values of their homes and in their quality of life. Developers want to make as much profit as possible from each development. Politicians want to be reelected, and voters vote where they live, not where they w
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Approximate Word count = 2015
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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