Montgomery Perspective reported today on last night’s Mayor and Council discussion of rent stabilization and our decision to pursue a broader set of policies to support renters and expand access to quality housing in Rockville.

Increasing affordable housing and assisting Rockville’s renter community are extremely important priorities for me. The question is not whether we should act, but instead we need to decide which policies will provide meaningful assistance without creating unintended consequences that could reduce housing opportunities or negatively affect our local economy.

That is why I made a motion directing City staff to move forward with consideration of stronger renter protections, better enforcement of improper rental conditions and code violations, greater transparency regarding fees and previous rent increases, additional housing affordability initiatives, and incentives for compliance with Rockville’s voluntary rent guidelines, while not pursuing mandatory caps on rental renewal rates. The Mayor and Council approved my motion 5-2.

Our goal should be to expand opportunities for people to find and remain in quality housing in Rockville. Based on the research and data available to us, I am concerned that mandatory rent caps could ultimately work against that goal by discouraging investment in rental housing and creating other unintended consequences.

I believe we can protect renters, improve housing conditions, increase transparency and affordability, and continue creating more housing opportunities. I am hopeful that the direction we established last night will move Rockville toward those goals.

Read the full Montgomery Perspective coverage:

montgomeryperspective.com

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