Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs Receives Five Awards from the National Association of Counties

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 4, 2019

The Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) has received five 2019 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NaCo). The awards recognize local jurisdictions for developing and managing innovative county government programs. DHCA received awards in the categories of Community and Economic Development and Information Technology.

“These awards recognize impressive staff accomplishments in implementing legislation to improve the quality of rental housing by developing effective community outreach as well as strong policy and technology solutions,” said Tim Goetzinger, acting director of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs. “The awards also recognize the County’s creative efforts to develop more affordable housing using cost-effective strategies such as partnerships with faith-based communities and co-location with public spaces.”

DHCA received NaCo awards for the following programs:

Renters Have Rights Outreach Campaign: In implementing Bill 19-15, DHCA launched a “Renters Have Rights” outreach campaign to inform tenants about their new rights and responsibilities and highlight that they can call 3-1-1 to get help. In Nov. 2018, County Council unanimously enacted Bill 19-15 to provide tenants new and enhanced rights such as improved lease provisions, the right to more information, and the ability to organize; and, additional resources for DHCA to conduct more frequent inspections and enforce code violations more effectively. County Executive Marc Elrich sponsored the measure; Council President Nancy Navarro and Councilmember Tom Hucker were co-sponsors.

Troubled Property Analysis: DHCA developed a specific “Troubled Property Analysis” to designate properties with a high number and severity of housing code violations that will receive additional code enforcement. To assure that apartment building managers for the more than 680 multifamily apartment buildings in Montgomery County maintain the property and repair any defects or problems, Bill 19-15 outlined a new inspection process and schedule. While most properties will be inspected triennially, those with a high number and severity of housing code violations will be included on the “Troubled Properties” list. At least once each year, DHCA will inspect 100 percent of units at designated “Troubled Properties,” require that each property submit a corrective action plan, and have access to quarterly maintenance logs.

Housing Code Inspection App: In implementing the requirements of Bill 19-15, DHCA developed a technology solution that reduced the time needed to carry out inspections and improved the quality and timeliness of data captured. DHCA’s Code Enforcement Section inspects single family, multifamily, and condominium rental units to ensure safe and sanitary conditions. Beginning in Fiscal Year (FY19), inspectors began using a native iOS app to efficiently select cases, enter violations, attach notes, and capture images. Inspection results are wirelessly uploaded to the department’s Code Enforcement Case Management System.

Partnering with the Faith-Based Community to Develop Affordable Housing: DHCA provided support for a partnership between Mt. Jezreel Baptist Church in Silver Spring and Mission First Housing, a nonprofit housing provider, to create a new apartment building for seniors that includes 75 mixed-income units on land provided by Mt. Jezreel. In addition to local housing funds, the project benefited from federal and state resources. It serves as a model for future such developments.  

Locating Affordable Housing with Public Facilities on County Land: DHCA analyzed County-owned property and initiated projects to create three affordable housing developments producing 305 new units, including 234 affordable ones. The new developments include: Victory Crossing, which includes 105 mixed-income units for seniors adjacent to a police station; Willow Manor at Fairland, which will offer 121 mixed-income senior rental units next to a regional services center; and, Artspace, which will include 68 affordable rental artist live/work units on the grounds of a former police station. DHCA continues to support opportunities for affordable housing on County-owned land. To help address the lack of affordable housing in the County, Montgomery County requires that all public facilities must consider co-locating affordable housing.

For more information about the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, visit its website. 

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Release ID: 19-187
Media Contact: Lorraine Driscoll 240-777-6533