On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Council took what it called a “brave step” toward solving the housing crisis by voting 8-3 to pass the “More Housing NOW” plan, which will allow multi-unit homes—duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and apartments—to be built on lots previously zoned for single-family homes.
Let me translate that for you: they’ve just made your quiet street the next construction zone.
Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Natali Fani-González call this a move for “equity” and “affordability.” In reality, it’s a gift to real estate developers, paid for by the communities of Bethesda, Silver Spring, Kensington, and Wheaton—some of the most congested, overburdened areas in the entire state. And the price of this progressive experiment? Crowded schools, overrun roads, and a diminished quality of life.
Let’s Talk About Congestion
Silver Spring doesn’t need more density—it needs more parking. Kensington doesn’t need more townhomes—it needs better traffic flow. And yet, our County Council believes stacking more families into these neighborhoods is the solution to affordability.
Meanwhile, the same Council that piously lectures us about “sustainability” is jamming more residents into neighborhoods already suffocating under car traffic, school waitlists, and aging stormwater systems.
They claim it’s about helping nurses, teachers, and firefighters afford to live here. But what’s actually being built? $1 million townhomes with rooftop decks. The truth is, these developments won’t help the “missing middle”—they’ll displace them.
A Convenient Blind Spot for the Ag Reserve
You want to solve a housing shortage? Montgomery County has over 93,000 acres of Agricultural Reserve—thousands of open, buildable acres. Yet that land remains untouched.
Why? Because the County Council’s donor base doesn’t live in East County. They live on those large, protected estates in Potomac and Darnestown. And let’s be real—they’re not about to let a triplex pop up across the street from their horse paddocks.
Instead, the Council dumps its density quotas on working-class areas, where residents—many of whom are non-English speakers—have less political clout and fewer resources to fight back. That’s not equity. That’s targeted exploitation.
The Fantasy of “Affordable” Housing
The sponsors trumpet that triplexes must include one unit affordable to those earning 120% of the area’s median income. In Montgomery County, that’s $196,500 for a family of four. That’s not struggling—that’s upper middle class. But now we’re redefining “affordable housing” to mean “only a quarter-million-dollar salary required.”
Duplexes, the more likely development type? They’re exempt from any affordability requirements. So who benefits? Developers and house flippers—not young families.
Councilmember Will Jawando, who voted no, got it right: “The public has asked us to be more nuanced, more thoughtful and more diligent.” Too bad his colleagues were too busy patting themselves on the back to listen.
What About Property Taxes?
If the Council really cared about affordability, they’d start by cutting our outrageous property taxes. Right now, a modest 3-bedroom home in Silver Spring on a ¼-acre lot can rack up $6,000 or more in annual taxes.
That’s more than many families pay for groceries in a year—and it’s going up, not down.
Slash those rates in half and you’d see working families stay put and young couples move in. But instead of tax relief, we get density mandates and developer-friendly zoning.
Legal Chaos Incoming
In 2023, similar “missing middle” schemes in Arlington and Alexandria led to lengthy legal battles. Rightfully so. Homeowners fought back, arguing the policies were implemented with minimal community input and maximum disregard for neighborhood character.
Montgomery County is next. And they’ll deserve every injunction that comes their way.
A Better Way Forward
Here’s a radical idea: if you want to add housing—really affordable housing—build upcounty, where the land is available and the infrastructure can handle it. Don’t force it on the already-crowded eastern corridor just because it’s politically easier.
And while you’re at it:
- Cut property taxes for families, not just offer tax breaks to developers.
- Invest in roads, not just “road diets” and virtue-signaling bike lanes.
- Require true affordability at 60-80% of the area median income—not $200,000.
Instead, our Council chose performative equity and Instagram politics over practical solutions. And make no mistake: when this plan fails to deliver, they’ll blame homeowners, NIMBYs, climate change—anything but their own arrogance.
Montgomery County deserves thoughtful policy, not wrecking-ball ideology. Let’s hope voters remember that the next time these “public servants” come knocking for campaign donations—or your vote.
Endnotes
- Montgomery County Council Zoning Vote: “Montgomery County Council votes to allow more multi-unit housing on single-family lots,” The Washington Post, July 2025.
- Agricultural Reserve Acreage: Montgomery Planning Department, Agricultural Reserve Overview – https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/agriculture/ag-reserve
- Property Tax Rates: Montgomery County Department of Finance – Real Property Tax Calculator, 2023–2025 average for homes valued at $600,000–$800,000: $6,000+ annually.
- Area Median Income (AMI): U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), FY2024 Area Median Income Limits: $157,500 (family of 2), $196,500 (family of 4) in Montgomery County.
- Arlington and Alexandria Lawsuits: “Legal Fight Continues Over Missing Middle Housing Plans,” ARLnow, June 2024; and “Alexandria Faces Lawsuit Over Upzoning,” Alexandria Times, September 2023.
- Montgomery County Congestion & Infrastructure: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, “Visualize 2045: Regional Transportation Plan,” 2023 – Montgomery County identified as one of the most congested jurisdictions in the D.C. area.
- Affordable Housing Development Requirements: More Housing NOW Bill Text and Summary – Montgomery County Council Legislative Tracker, Bill 25-24, passed July 2025.
- Developer Donations and Council Ties: Maryland Campaign Finance Database, 2022–2024 cycle; multiple councilmembers received contributions from real estate development PACs and individual donors connected to land use lobbying groups.
- Upcounty vs Downcounty Density Distribution: Montgomery Planning Zoning Density Map, 2024 – New overlay zones cluster around Bethesda, Silver Spring, Wheaton, and Glenmont; limited to no changes in Potomac, Darnestown, Poolesville, or Brookeville.
- Transportation Infrastructure Strain: Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Report, “Congestion and Mobility Trends in Montgomery County,” 2024 – Notes increased vehicle congestion in already dense corridors and recommends caution in future land use decisions.
Carol Hughes is a contributor for Direct Line News. She can be reached at Carol.Hughes@mcgopclub.com
Direct Line News is a Maryland-based free-access publication committed to the Republican reform tradition.
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