Montgomery County made history on July 19th, 2023, passing a permanent rent stabilization bill that stops unscrupulous landlords from hiking up rent and brings housing stability and predictability to renters! From Silver Spring to Rockville to Germantown, 40 percent of county residents are renters, which means approximately 400,000 people will benefit from this protection.
CASA joined with key organizations like Everyday Canvassing, Jews United For Justice (JUFJ), MCEA, the Montgomery County Racial Equity Network, and dozens more to organize and advocate for this win. CASA members were at the forefront of this battle for housing justice, offering testimonies, meeting with council members, and working through careful negotiations. CASA Members like Maria Enriquez shared how her family pays $1,700 in rent, a significant percentage of her entire monthly income: Maria’s daughter Jeniffer is majoring in sociology and poverty studies at Washington and Lee. Maria dreams of seeing her daughter graduate and wants to use her income not for exorbitant rent, but for her daughter’s college tuition.
The Montgomery County Council heard many powerful stories like Maria’s before they voted. The 7-4 vote showed how, once details were ironed out, the majority of the council was ready to embrace housing justice.
Montgomery County joins Prince George’s County, Mount Rainier, Takoma Park, Hyattsville, and others in offering rent stabilization legislation aimed at protecting tenants from skyrocketing rents.
Sincerely,
Alex Vazquez
Montgomery Lead Organizer for CASA
