Rocky Whitesell
Housing For All!
Montgomery County Council Candidate, District 4
Vote June 23rd!
No Kid Should Grow up Homeless
Yet hundreds of kids are now homeless in Montgomery County, up from a few dozen in 2022. The most recent county data shows homelessness has risen overall by 160%, from 581 residents to 1510, the vast majority of whom were previously housed here. Other counties in our region averaged around a 20% increase.
At the same time, a quarter of renters already spend over half of their income just on rent, and a majority spend more than a third. Multiple families are squeezing into single family homes, younger residents are rapidly leaving, and with around half the county workforce commuting from outside we rank among the worst in the nation for traffic congestion.
This Crisis is neither accidental, nor inevitable
For decades, county policy and zoning have severely restricted affordable multifamily housing. In 2022, the county’s own planning board was already warning that the “…steady rise in housing costs…has been caused mainly by the failure of housing supply to keep up with demand for over 30 years.”
Housing vs Population Growth
The council so far has failed to address this crisis. In fact, last year multifamily approvals dropped 90% from already low levels, and among previously approved projects fewer than 4 in 10 were fully committing funding. In the midst of a severe housing shortage, we have effectively stopped construction of housing.
Land Use vs People Housed
Why I’m running
I decided to run for council because I know we have to do a lot better. Homelessness, in particular, demands we act.
It’s difficult to overstate just how badly it hurts people, how hard it hits kids, and how huge a difference it is for someone just to have a warm, safe place to live. Ignoring that pain all around us doesn’t just hurt the homeless, it makes us all colder, poorer, and sadder versions of ourselves.
I know that with a change of direction, though, we can fix things. If there is one promise I can make as your councilor it will be this: I won’t ever shy away from hard problems. When something isn’t working I’ll keep listening and keep trying until we find something that does.
To my neighbors, I hope you’ll give fair consideration to my candidacy and to the urgency of these issues. Win or lose, I always feel lucky to live here and am proud to call MoCo my home.
Thank you,
Rocky Whitesell
This website is authorized and paid for by Friends of Rocky Whitesell, 9305 Glenville Rd, Silver Spring, MD. Candidate: Peter “Rocky” Whitesell, Treasurer: Crosby Cofod