Questions and Answers

Why is housing so expensive?

Housing is expensive because there simply isn’t enough of it. For decades, the council has favored single family homes and restricted multifamily housing even as demand has grown. When demand far outstrips supply prices rise, and that is exactly what has happened.

The consequences are visible everywhere: rising homelessness, suburban sprawl cutting into natural areas, younger residents rapidly leaving, and long commutes from outside the county that worsen congestion and erode our tax base. There are many treatments for the symptoms, but only one that addresses the root cause: allowing denser housing.

That means changing zoning rules that currently make it illegal to build anything but the lowest density housing in most of the county. It doesn’t require compromising our environmental standards, housing quality, or local character. What it does require is an honest appraisal of what inclusivity means, not as a slogan, but as a reality. We cannot be an inclusive county if we make it impossible for most people to live here.

How should the county think about homelessness?

Homelessness is overwhelmingly caused by a lack of affordable housing, and there is no policy that can reduce homelessness without addressing housing scarcity. Montgomery County supports many programs intended to alleviate the harm homelessness causes, and those matter, but they shouldn’t be understood as a replacement for building sufficient housing.

People experiencing homelessness are dealing with instability that makes nearly every other problem harder to solve. I support the “Housing First” approach, and the creation of the housing supply necessary to make it workable. It’s extraordinarily difficult to address health needs, mental illness, addiction, unemployment, or reentry while living on the street or cycling through temporary shelter. Getting folks into safe, stable housing has got to be the cornerstone of all of the county’s social programs.

How will you protect the civil rights of Montgomery County residents?

In the face of widespread civil rights violations by ICE and DHS, simple non-assistance from the county isn’t enough. Residents have been forced to confront a campaign of warrantless arrests, unlawful searches, and intimidation on their own. I will push clear policies for local law enforcement to monitor and intervene against illegal actions by federal agents in Montgomery County.

Federal agents are given tremendous leeway by longstanding legal precedent, but that leeway is not unlimited. The bar for intervention against illegal actions may be high, but that bar must exist and we must clearly spell it out. It is moral cowardice to leave the responsibility for protecting our most fundamental American rights solely to civilians. The Council must take a stand, and I will not let up until we are doing everything we can to protect residents.

How will you approach education policy as a councilor?

Montgomery County’s public schools are one of our greatest strengths, and maintaining high standards is a priority for me. The hardest questions are not about whether to fund education, but how to allocate limited resources intelligently and equitably.

The Council doesn’t run classrooms, but it does shape funding decisions. On the operating side, that means strong overall support for MCPS, along with careful attention to where additional resources can have the greatest impact. In particular, I want to look closely at evidence based approaches to early reading instruction.

On the capital planning side, the Council plays a more direct role. Where I want to concentrate most is proactively forming a consensus with parents about how school renovation decisions should be made. There are tremendous disagreements at the individual school level, so it is crucial that we establish a process grounded in shared values and clear criteria.

How do you make decisions when values conflict?

Most questions a councilor faces involve tradeoffs, and recognizing that is important. Nobody likes to talk about the negative effects of their proposed policies, but honestly discussing them is just as necessary as discussing the benefits.

This is true of my thinking on housing. Allowing denser housing can mean disruption, stressed infrastructure, or when done poorly, displacement. I still believe that it’s the right thing to do, but having frank conversations about where the issues are is the only way to mitigate them. Once I’ve gathered as many of the facts and perspectives as I can, hard decisions don’t go away, but I’m ready to decide and act.

Patients Over Profits Pledge

Partnership for America’s Healthcare Future is a healthcare industry lobbying group opposing reform to America’s healthcare system. The Patients Over Profits Pledge, more information about which can be found here: www.patientsoverprofits.org, means rejecting donations linked to groups or individuals affiliate with the corporate healthcare industry. I have signed this pledge.

-Rocky Whitesell