ABC (WJLA/7News) reported tonight on Rockville’s recent decision not to adopt rent control, speaking with residents who are understandably concerned about rising rents and the difficulty of keeping up with housing costs. Those concerns are real, and they are exactly why the Mayor and Council must continue working aggressively to make housing more affordable and to support renters who need help. The disagreement is about how best to accomplish that goal.

As I told ABC (WJLA/7News), I believe we have to look at the economics of housing overall rather than rely on a broad policy that can create significant unintended consequences. Montgomery County is projecting a nearly $70 million reduction in housing-market revenue, and declining investment ultimately affects our ability to build more housing and provide direct assistance to residents who need it most.

Rockville does not have to choose between protecting renters and maintaining a healthy housing market. We should do both... and the data shows that doing both directly helps renters overall. That policy path means continuing to expand housing supply and affordable housing, strengthening renter protections, ensuring fair and transparent rental practices, and providing direct financial assistance to renters facing genuine hardship.

The stories shared by Rockville renters reinforce why this work is so important. The renters testifying at our Community Forum describe high rents overall... so we need to work to address high rents, not just a policy that restricts post-lease increases. Our responsibility is to pursue solutions that help people today while also keeping Rockville affordable and economically strong for the future.

Watch and read the full ABC (WJLA/7News) report:

wjla.com

In a 5-2 vote, the Rockville City Council decided not to enact rent stabilization measures in the city this year during their July 21 meeting.It was a decision