TELL THE COUNCIL “NO” TO AHSI AS PROPOSED
M
CCF applauds announcements from Montgomery County Councilmember At- Large Will Jawando and District 5 Councilmember Kristin Mink, opposing moving forward on the proposed Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative, “AHSI”. These were the first announcements of opposition to AHSI among the current eleven members of the Council. See their statements here and here.
Those familiar with the Council indicate that other members may also be inclined to oppose AHSI. We are making progress but it is urgent that our delegates and residents increase their advocacy efforts now and write to the Council.
In response to Council Members Jawando’s and Mink’s statements, the supporters of AHSI are conducting a massive email campaign pressuring the Council to move forward on AHSI. It is incumbent that we, our neighborhood associations, and the households who belong to our neighborhood associations, respond vigorously and be heard as well!
Please take a few minutes to write to the entire Council on behalf of your association and if you are able to circulate this note to the households within your association, this would add an important boost to our efforts. Ask the Council to suspend consideration of this ill-conceived proposal. The MCCF letter to the Council summarizes our concerns with the AHSI proposal.
A helpful sample letter to the Councilmembers is included below as a guide. Of course, writing your own email in your own words is very impactful if you have time.
You may cut and paste the email addresses of the Councilmembers below.
Please share with friends/family in other MC neighborhoods and ask for their help too.
Sample Letter/Email to Council
Dear Councilmembers,
I would like to convey to you my wholehearted support for Will Jawando and Kristen Mink's call for a pause or halt to consideration of the AHSI proposal by the County Council. I strongly you to join them in their position and to announce publicly your position on this proposal. The public deserves to know where you stand.
It is clear that there is overwhelming opposition from neighborhood residents to this vast and ill-conceived proposal and with good reason.
The AHSI is not designed, intended, or likely to bring affordable housing to Montgomery County and may result in loss of naturally occurring affordable housing and displacement of low- and middle-income residents. At the same time, AHSI would negatively impact our overburdened schools, as well as our aging infrastructure, utility services, traffic, parking and the environment including our beautiful tree canopy among other things. The impact of potential changes to the federal budget as well as federal employment will make these new costs even more difficult to bear.
Many county residents support smart housing policies, working through the master plan process. I urge you to refocus efforts on identifying potential areas for development of affordable housing to meet the greatest projected needs.