HOUSING
  1. Preserve all multi-family affordable housing or ensure at least one-to-one replacement of all affordable units. Stop the hemorrhaging of affordable housing.
  2. Quadruple the Housing Initiative Fund (HIF) from $20M to $80M by 2010 (fiscal year). In fiscal year 2007, County Executive Leggett made a significant down payment towards this goal. In Mr. Leggett’s first budget as Executive he increased HIF from $20M-$30M. Today, there are tighter financial constraints on the county, but there are also increased financial constraints on families in need of affordable housing. If we do nothing, we condemn ourselves to a county of those that already bought a home and the very wealthy who can buy now. Therefore, if we want a county for all of us, increasing HIF to the $80M level must be a top county  priority.
  3. Create senior level Affordable Housing Chief. Hire an Affordable Housing Chief who has regular access to the County Executive and charged with the authority to move aggressively on behalf of the county to preserve and build affordable housing. This person also needs to have the resources to hire a team as needed, so there is sufficient infrastructure in the county to nimbly move on housing opportunities.
     

Housing Background


IMMIGRATION

  1. Open a full service USCIS immigration office in Montgomery County


EDUCATION: “COLLEGE BOUND”

  1. Scholarships for all students who cannot afford college and have a 90% or greater attendance rate.
     
  2. All high schools will have one “College Bound” counselor whose sole job it is to encourage and help students get into college.

 

COMMUNITY CENTERS

  1. Full funding to create top flight, modernized, fully staffed community centers for immigrants, youth & seniors. Priority for Community Centers will be:
    • East Silver Spring/Burtonsville area Community Center: Provide funding for an Immigration Support Center at an existing Recreational site to provide courses on skills needed to live a full life in the county.
    • Sandy Spring, Ross Boddy Neighborhood Community Center
    • Boyds, Edward U. Taylor School
    • Scotland Neighborhood Community Center
    • Good Hope Neighborhood Community Center

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

  1. A variety of pedestrian safety issues identified by AIM congregations.