County Council Approves Workforce Housing Legislation

On July 22, the Montgomery County Council approved Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-02. This ZTA, which will become effective on November 1, 2025, will allow workforce housing, including duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and apartment buildings, up to 40 feet in height through an optional development method along designated corridors in the County.  The County defines workforce housing as housing that is available to those whose incomes are at or below 120% of the area-wide median income, currently at $157,440 for a couple. Optional method development includes a full regulatory review by multiple agencies of elements such as stormwater, forest conservation, parking, transportation, water and sewer, and school infrastructure, among other development regulations. It also includes opportunities for public input.

Within the Town, the designated workforce housing corridors are Connecticut Avenue and East West Highway. Lots eligible for workforce housing are those with addresses on the corridors (corner lots with side street addresses are excluded). The Town estimates that the ZTA will affect approximately 50 lots in Town.  

The delayed effective date of the ZTA will allow time for the County Council to adopt a Subdivision Regulation Amendment (SRA 25-02) to prohibit workforce housing on certain lots (e.g., pipestem and through lots) and limit lot consolidation for workforce housing to a maximum of three eligible lots (i.e., 3 eligible lots could be combined laterally, along a corridor; combining lots with addresses on a corridor with lots immediately behind them would be prohibited). A public hearing on SRA 25-02 is tentatively scheduled for September 16. The Town Council intends to present testimony at this hearing and will discuss the content of this testimony at a work session on August 27.  

The County Council's press release announcing adoption of ZTA 25-02 is available here.