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Housing and human‑services groups urge council to preserve affordable housing and safety‑net funding
Summary
Nonprofits, housing advocates and HHS partners urged the County Council to fund programs that prevent evictions, support rapid rehousing and preserve the affordable housing pipeline; organizations cited increases in eviction filings and requested the council keep proposed FY26 funding levels to sustain projects and services.
Nonprofits and housing advocates asked the Montgomery County Council to preserve or increase FY26 funding for affordable housing preservation, rental assistance and eviction‑prevention programs.
Mary Koehler, testifying for the Montgomery Housing Alliance, said the proposed budget includes a level of funding intended to sustain the affordable housing pipeline through FY26 and warned that any reduction "would significantly disrupt the pipeline, delaying projects, making them more costly, and in some cases derailing them altogether." She asked the council to support increased down‑payment assistance and rental assistance programs.
Leila Finukin, CEO of Victory Housing, told the council that the county’s proposed funding—about $119,000,000 for producing and preserving affordable units excluding certain funds—was necessary to keep projects closing and on schedule. Housing advocates also asked the council to maintain funding for programs such as RAP and SHARP and to continue multi‑agency coordination that helps residents avoid homelessness.
Why this matters: Speakers described rising eviction numbers and a shrinking affordable housing pipeline as threats to housing stability for low‑ and moderate‑income households in the county. Advocates said county funding is often the final resource that closes project financing gaps for affordable housing developments.
Nonprofits also requested increased support for HHS programs and minority health initiatives that link residents to services. Provider representatives emphasized that federal and state funding uncertainty increases the county’s role in sustaining safety‑net services.
Ending: Testimony asked council members to approve the highest feasible funding level for affordable housing and for safety‑net services in FY26 to avoid disruptions to projects and resident supports.
