Council adds $110,000 for Emery Grove displaced‑residents task force and approves Human Rights budget

The Montgomery County Council added $110,000 to the FY27 operating budget reconciliation list to support the Emery Grove Displaced Residents Task Force and approved the Office of Human Rights budget as amended.

Staff described a late executive memorandum recommending $110,000 to support a state‑created task force, which is working with the National Fair Housing Alliance and local partners to study and recommend how to serve residents displaced by past urban renewal in Emery Grove. Council staff said the memo arrived after the committee session and that DHHS and Montgomery County Public Schools transmitted a follow‑up memo confirming partnership arrangements to support program transitions for affected families and students.

Director Stowe addressed the council and recounted Emery Grove’s history of urban renewal and displacement, saying more than 500 people were displaced and that work is needed to deliver equitable, restorative homeownership and community benefits. "The Fair Housing Alliance can bring national expertise to our work," Stowe said, describing the task force role in producing implementable recommendations.

Councilmember Don Lukey moved to add the $110,000 to the reconciliation list and the motion passed unanimously; the council then voted unanimously to approve the Office of Human Rights budget as amended.

The added funds will support the task force’s work pending reconciliation and final budget approval. Staff and councilmembers said the work is time sensitive and intended to inform policies tied to a housing project moving forward in the Emery Grove area.