Housing agency asks Montgomery County for $2.3 million in immediate repairs, $1.5 million to finish demolition; council committee adds requests to reconciling “

Chelsea Andrews, president of HLC, told the Montgomery County Council Finance Committee on April 29 that the agency seeks immediate county help to address safety and security problems at Cider Mill and to finish demolition work at Elizabeth House.

The requests include $2,050,000 to repair balconies at Cider Mill, $250,000 for additional cameras and lighting in breezeways and other security improvements, funding for an additional full‑time bilingual resident counselor for Cider Mill (estimated $120,000 including benefits), and $1,500,000 to cover environmental cost overruns that arose once demolition of Elizabeth House began.

The committee added the Cider Mill balcony repairs and the $250,000 security request to its reconciliation ("rec") list and recommended adding $1.5 million for completion of the Elizabeth House demolition to the rec list as well. Committee members discussed phasing the balcony repairs in tranches and asked HLC to return with a prioritization plan before full Council action. Committee members framed the security request as complementary to existing police partnerships: Andrews said cameras HLC installed have been used by Montgomery County Police Department officers…