Council receives overview of governor’s Housing for Jobs Act; Planning Board seeks major amendments

Montgomery County planning officials and the Planning Board briefed the council on the governor’s Housing for Jobs Act, a statewide proposal intended to identify regional housing shortages and accelerate approvals where jobs greatly outnumber housing units.

Lisa Gavone, representing the Planning Department, said the bill creates a mechanism to measure shortages by comparing housing stock to jobs: if a region averages more than 1.5 jobs per housing unit, the bill’s provisions are triggered. “It’s intended to move counties to getting to yes on approval,” Gavone said.

Staff told the council the bill’s definition of a “housing project application” is broad and includes site plans, conditional uses that go to the Board of Appeals, variances handled by the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings, and building permits issued by the Department of Permitting Services. That breadth, staff said, raises technical and procedural questions about standards of review and implementation. The Planning Board, Gavone said, supports the bill in principle but with significant amendments and clarifications on methodology and administrative processes.

County representatives also said the Maryland Association of Counties (MAKO) opposes the bill in its current form but is working on amendments that could reduce the county’s objections. The council did not take a position and staff recommended continued engagement with MAKO and state negotiators to resolve implementation concerns.

Given the bill’s potential to change the local review standard and to apply to a wide range of land-use approvals, county staff said the council and county agencies will continue to consolidate concerns and pursue technical and policy amendments through MAKO and legislative contacts.