Affordable housing developer tells Montgomery County council expedited process helped deliver new Silver Spring project

An affordable housing developer told the Montgomery County Council that recent legislation to expedite permitting helped deliver a 100% affordable apartment community in Silver Spring but that multi-year delays remain a problem.

"We successfully completed a new 100% affordable community in Silver Spring and began receiving new renters, back in November," the developer said, noting that more than 2,000 residents applied for units though the building contains "less than a 100" units.

The developer said the project took five years from award to occupancy: the financing was awarded in 2021 and residents began moving in in 2025. "It took 5 years from the date of the award before we could hand keys to our first residents," the developer said, citing lengthy planning, zoning and construction timelines.

As evidence the expedited process can accelerate delivery, the speaker pointed to a separate community on Neville Street that "was awarded financing last summer and approved in 64 days" and said that represented about a "90% savings in time." The speaker added that the expedited procedure did not remove required reviews: "nothing is being cut out or removed from the process. Staff has to work harder," the developer said.

The speaker credited the legislation with bringing Montgomery County staff across planning, zoning, forest conservation, water and sewer "to the table" to prioritize affordable housing and speed work. The developer said they are planning additional projects in Rockville and look forward to more affordable housing opportunities in Montgomery County.

The remarks were presented as a developer's account of project timelines and the effect of the county's expedited permitting process; the council did not announce a formal vote or decision during this presentation.