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Makeover Montgomery 5

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Makeover Montgomery 5

Join us for the fifth installment of Makeover Montgomery, a conference co-hosted by Montgomery Planning and NCSG at UMD. This year’s conference will take place with a focus on seeking regional ideas to help Montgomery County thrive. Sessions will be organized into four themes under the general topic of resilience:

  • Economic Resilience
  • Neighborhood and Social Resilience
  • Environmental, Climate, and Infrastructure-Resilience
  • Public Health Resilience

Call for Proposals

The deadline for submitting presentation proposals online is March 15, 2022, at 5 p.m. The selected presenters will take part in sessions to be held on September 23 and 24. Assistance with travel-related expenses may be available for out-of-town speakers. There may also be a virtual option for attendance depending on the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of the conference.

Presentations should focus on innovative planning and policy tools, and strategies that can help ensure the resilience of suburban and urban communities. Multiple session tracks will attract a diverse audience that includes practitioners, academics and interested community members from the DC area and across the nation.

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Nick FinioFeb 18No Comments

NCSG research used to support rent assistance bill

A new bill before the Baltimore City Council would offer up to $1,500 a month in rental assistance for families experiencing housing emergencies.

Legislation introduced by Councilwoman Odette Ramos calls for the Department of Housing & Community Development to give up to 12 payments directly to participants’ landlords.

The bill draws on findings from a study by the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth and Enterprise Community Partners, which noted that the amount of both owner and renter households that are severely cost burdened — meaning they pay at least half of their income toward housing — has increased dramatically throughout Maryland since 2000.

The study highlights a shortage of 85,000 affordable housing units throughout the state for households earning less than 30% of median income and notes that people of color, individuals with disabilities and seniors are disproportionately affected by housing hurdles such as high security deposits.

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Nick FinioFeb 09No Comments

NCSG’s work on Maryland Housing Needs Assessment featured by Maryland Department of Planning

The Maryland Department of Planning featured NCSG’s work on the Maryland Housing Needs Assessment in a new blog post. Check it out here.
There is a common misconception of what affordable housing is and who needs it, which adds to the challenge of providing affordable housing while need increases and supply continues to decrease in many locations across the country. To address this issue for Marylanders, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) commissioned the Maryland Housing Needs Assessment & 10-Year Strategic Plan (Housing Needs Assessment) to “chart a course for Maryland to become a more affordable place to live by 2030.”
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Nick FinioFeb 08No Comments