Montgomery County allowed 15-story Westwood Tower in Bethesda to operate without fire alarms for 2 months

The Montgomery County government and owner Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County allowed residents to occupy the 15-story Westwood Tower apartments for two months without an operating fire alarm system. County officials have now condemned the high-rise building at 5401 Westbard Avenue in Bethesda after an electrical fire brought the existing violations to light this past weekend, and further damaged the building's electrical systems. In lieu of a functioning fire alarm system, HOC had posted signs inside the tower instructing residents to "evacuate and call 911" in case of a fire. The signs did not advise how residents who might be asleep during a fire would be aware one had broken out, nor how their neighbors in the approximately 200 apartments would be notified on more than a dozen floors.

Sign posted inside Westwood Tower after the
building's fire alarm system went down on November 9, 2023;
it was never repaired, and the building was condemned after
a fire on January 6, 2024

After the fire alarm system broke down on November 9, 2023, the HOC stationed personnel in the building lobby to be on-duty in case of a fire. It was unclear how one person could physically cover 15 floors (not to mention without an elevator),and knock on hundreds of doors, in the few seconds that might be needed for all residents to safely evacuate. One resident reported that these employees were sometimes seen dozing off in the lobby. Residents report that the HOC never informed them of a timeline for restoration of the fire alarm system. "Fire officials have repeatedly been called to the building because of the lack of a fire alarm," one resident said, and that the building has been "cited repeatedly because of a lack of fire alarm."

Generator outside the building, which has
no power; residents have been relocated

The insanity of the idea of one person being able to function as a human fire alarm for a 15-story building became clear this past Saturday night, when a transformer blew inside the building. Several residents I spoke to reported that not only were there no fire alarms sounding, but the backup "human fire alarm" in the lobby did not contact any of them. They smelled and saw smoke, and self-evacuated, alerting other residents on their way out of the building. One resident who lives on a floor that did not initially have smoke only learned the building was on fire when a friend who lived on a smoke-filled floor called them to say there was a fire, and to get out. 

Residents report that they were left freezing in the building from 6:00 PM Saturday night, until the building was condemned and evacuated 24 hours later. Power in the building was limited, and there was no heat at all. Security functions to keep non-residents and potential criminals out of the building were inoperable.

To top it off, the HOC initially refused to provide alternative shelter to residents, advising them to instead make a claim on their own apartment insurance to cover the cost of hotel rooms. As the details began to reach the public a day later, Montgomery County agencies announced they were providing off-site shelter. The HOC said the residents were being moved to hotels in the area. Residents were told that they could be displaced from the building for as long as three weeks.

There is concern among residents, given the County's inaction regarding the fire alarm outage in the preceding weeks and the building's ownership being politically affliated with the elected officials who appoint and oversee them, that repairs will be allowed to drag on. Last night, two extremely loud generators roared outside the darkened apartment tower. There was no visible activity at the building. 

Residents of HOC properties have long pointed out issues regarding health and safety in their buildings. Those complaints were backed up by the findings of federal inspections, which found 75% of the units they inspected failed to meet federal standards. It now appears the agency was allowed to violate the County's fire code for two months, by operating a building without functioning smoke and fire alarms to alert occupants.

The HOC acquired the building several years ago with grand plans to construct more buildings and garages on the property. When those plans were stymied by protests that arose when the agency announced it intended to build a parking garage on top of the Moses African Cemetery at the rear of the property - where many of the graves were desecrated during the building's construction in the late 1960s, the HOC then attempted to sell it to a private developer. That sale was temporarily blocked by a Montgomery County court injunction, and the buyer backed out of the transaction. The dispute - that the HOC tried to sell the land with the cemetery without notifying the descendants of those interred there, in violation of Maryland law - will be ruled on by the Maryland Supreme Court later this year.

The County and the HOC are only fortunate that Saturday's fire was not more serious. This could have been a catastrophic disaster, had a fast-moving fire engulfed the building. Elected officials have yet to criticize the situation that existed at the property; in fact, the County Councilmember who represents the area has so far tweeted only praise for County agencies.

Westwood Tower apartments in Bethesda condemned after electrical fire; residents evacuated

A fire Saturday night at the Westwood Tower apartments at 5401 Westbard Avenue in Bethesda caused or revealed major problems with the building's electrical system. Montgomery County condemned the apartment building yesterday, and is assisting residents with relocation until the electrical system can be repaired and brought up to code. The building had only partial power after the fire, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer. All residents had been evacuated by 8:00 PM last night, Piringer said. Westwood Tower is owned and operated by the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission, which will be defending itself in an unrelated lawsuit regarding the cemetery on the property this morning at the Maryland Supreme Court in Annapolis.

Maryland Supreme Court to hear appeal in Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition case

Maryland's Supreme Court yesterday agreed to hear the appeal of the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition to overturn a state appellate court ruling regarding the sale of property that includes a major portion of Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda. The June ruling itself overturned an injunction by Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Karla Smith, that froze the impending sale of Westwood Tower at 5401 Westbard Avenue to Charger Ventures. Charger Ventures withdrew its purchase offer following Smith's ruling, but Westwood Tower owner Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County appealed to the higher court and won. 

The Supreme Court's ultimate ruling in this case will have local and national implications for Black cemeteries, many of which are today in states of desecration and disrepair, hidden, or under threat from development. Moses African Cemetery is in all three categories. 

Smith ruled that HOC had entered a sale agreement without notifying the descendants of those buried in the cemetery, and without giving them a chance to weigh in on the sale, as required under Maryland law. Inexplicably, the appellate court found that following the law was not necessary.

This is a common occurrance when citizens challenge developers and powerful real estate interests in any Montgomery County or Maryland court. BACC noted yesterday that the Maryland Supreme Court only accepts about 15% of the certiorari petitions filed. But residents win over developers in our courts at an even lower rate than that, with judges blatantly ignoring statutory requirements on developers and planning authorities, as in the Westbard case. Smith, a relatively recent appointee to the Circuit Court in 2015, was a rare exception in ruling that the laws actually do apply to developers in Montgomery County.

Photo courtesy Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition

With hundreds of affordable units standing vacant, does MoCo actually have a housing "crisis?"

Ability to lose 162

units, low demand at

Halpine View raise new 

questions about MoCo's 

supposed affordable 

housing "crisis"

How serious is the affordable housing "crisis" in Montgomery County? We've been hearing off-and-on about the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission's development plans for the Ambassador Apartments in Wheaton since 2012. At one point, it was said that a new building would be constructed on another part of the property, allowing current residents of the Ambassador to remain in their homes. But now, the building - a former Best Western hotel at the corner of Veirs Mill Road and University Boulevard - has been shut down and fenced off. Businesses in the ground floor have also been vacated.

Residents have supposedly been relocated by the HOC to other properties around the county. However, the HOC declined to respond to media inquiries made earlier this week by press time. From what I can find in County documents, it appears the building will be demolished at a cost of up to $1.5 million, a cost that will be picked up by County taxpayers. HOC has previously requested the funds from the County Council for that purpose.

Demolition was to have begun this year, and construction of the new development was to break ground in 2019. It appears that would still be possible if demolition occurs soon.

The loss of 162 low-income housing units near Metro - and the apparent ability of the HOC to find that many vacant units for the departing tenants - raises questions about just how serious the affordable housing "crisis" is in Montgomery County. Last year, the owners of Halpine View in Rockville off Veirs Mill Road stated that demand for their affordable apartments was declining, and that they had a substantial number of vacancies.

Beggars cannot be choosers, as they say. A modest, older apartment at Halpine View or the Ambassador would beat being homeless any day of the week. There should not be vacancies at Halpine View, and it should not have been possible to find vacant homes for 162 families before closing the Ambassador. Dogged apartment hunters would surely have found these affordable gems in their desperate housing searches. What is going on here?

County residents are being told we must now throw traditional, common-sense zoning rules out the window to address a housing "crisis," a move that will destroy existing single-family home neighborhoods. It appears further study of just what is going on here is clearly needed before making such irresponsible planning and fiscal decisions, especially with the County facing a structural budget deficit every year as far out at the forecasts go. More transparency is also needed. How many vacant affordable apartments are there countywide as of today? Taxpayers and homeowners deserve to know before accepting the new onerous costs, and reduced quality of life, that would come with adding multifamily urban housing within residential SFH neighborhoods.

HOC changes public message under heat of cemetery protests (Video + Photos)

Protesters returned to the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission in Kensington yesterday, and the increasing heat over a threatened African-American cemetery on HOC land had commissioners changing their public stance on their development plans. Public documents and testimony by HOC representatives earlier this year made clear the commission intends to build a parking garage atop the cemetery on its Westwood Tower property in Bethesda. Emails and memos obtained via public information requests show HOC has been a player in the Regency Centers development plans from the beginning in 2012.

But yesterday, commission chair Jackie Simon had a new message for protesters and the public. Reading from a heavily-lawyered prepared statement, Simon declared the HOC has no plans to redevelop any part of the property at this time. It does plan to purchase the Westwood Tower property it currently operates from Regency Centers, but will merely continue to operate the existing building. Of course, the legal language left open the possibility of exploring future redevelopment of the site.

The new public stance is "fake news," as HOC engaged in mediation hearings with the Macedonia Baptist Church over its plan to build the garage all summer. HOC's plans for the garage and new housing on the cemetery site were detailed and far along in the planning process up until 4:00 PM yesterday.

Protesters organized by the church and the Montgomery County chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice were not buying the prepared statement, asking for votes by the commission that would provide actual concrete protections for the cemetery, which was already desecrated by construction workers building Westwood Tower in the late 1960s.

Several speakers, including Macedonia Baptist Church Social Justice Ministry director Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, called on commissioners to resign if they would not stand up to protect the sacred ground of the cemetery, which holds many remains of the first generation of freed slaves in Maryland among its dead. In appealing to the HOC, she said, "like our ancestors, we were met with the stony eyes of contempt and disregard" by commissioners and staff. "There is no moral core to HOC," Coleman-Adebayo continued. "George Wallace would understand why you are hiding behind rules and regulations. Your names will be forever linked with such racist titans. Your leadership is bankrupt." She challenged the commissioners to protect the cemetery and allow a museum on the site instead of a garage, adding, "if you cannot do that, the only decent choice you have is to resign."

Protesters also pushed back on the baseless allegation by HOC that the church had leaked information from the mediation sessions over the summer. "That is a lie," MBC's pastor, the Rev. Segun Adebayo told commissioners. "We want to demand an apology." Commissioners and staff were unable to substantiate the leak allegation yesterday.

Of the Westwood Tower property, Pastor Adebayo said, "Our people were there before you got there. And they will be there long after you are gone. We are law-abiding. We are not violent. But we will use every moral fiber to resist. You may not care about those bodies. [HOC Executive Director Stacy] Spann may not care about those bodies, but we do."

"Give us the vote!" protesters chanted. Kevin Berends of the No Fear Coalition pressed commissioners again on the leak allegation. He challenged the commission to provide proof, or retract the charge. Simon acknowledged she knew of no specific basis for the allegation, but said she was "not going to comment." Quoting Marcus Garvey's belief that "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots," Robert Stubblefield of Impact Silver Spring advised commissioners to "forget the tree being doomed to fall - it has already fallen, and is being eaten by termites."

Resident Peter Burr came to the meeting to see for himself "what kind of people think they're entitled to build a parking garage on top of a cemetery." He accused the commission of "standing idly by," not only threatening the future of the graveyard, but also failing to "cure the desecration that has already occurred."

"Your treatment of the descendant community is deplorable," SURJ representative and resident Laurel Hoa said. "What you are doing is just impeding justice. Recalling the pre-civil rights era, she added, "What was done in the 1950s was wrong. What you're doing in 2017 is even more wrong."

A major protest rally against HOC/Regency Center's garage plans is scheduled for Sunday, November 12, 2017, at 1:30 PM at the Macedonia Baptist Church at 5119 River Road. Spread the word. Be there!

Westbard cemetery protest at HOC on November 1

Protesters will return to the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 4:00 PM, for a silent protest opposing the HOC's plan to build a parking garage on top of the historic African-American cemetery on the site of Westwood Tower in Bethesda.

HOC's headquarters is located at 10400 Detrick Avenue in Kensington. The protest is in regard to the HOC's plan with partner Regency Centers to build a parking garage on the historic cemetery, which holds many residents of the lost community established there on River Road after Maryland Emancipation. That community was wiped out by developers in the mid-1950s. Now, with the cemetery scandal - here we go again, another example of the institutional racism against black landowners in Montgomery County.

SURJ, Macedonia Baptist Church, descendants of those buried in the cemetery, and their supporters in the community are asking the HOC to allow the church to conduct a valid archaeological study of the burial site, and to publicly acknowledge that the sacred nature of it outweighs their development plans.

Participants in the protest should bring signs to hold. Suggested messages include:

DON'T PARK ON ME, HOC (my personal favorite)
BLACK LIVES MATTER IN LIFE AND IN DEATH
BLACK ANCESTORS MATTER
BLACK BURIAL PLACES MATTER
NO PARKING GARAGE OVER CEMETERY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING--YES! CEMETERY DESECRATION--NO!

Be forewarned that parking is very limited, as all of the parking lots are hogged by HOC, despite all we the taxpayers contribute to the HOC. There are some street parking spaces, and the surrounding residential neighborhood has permit parking restrictions. For that reason, carpool if you can.

Westbard cemetery protesters shut down HOC meeting (Photos)

Protesters shut down yesterday's meeting of the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission, after commissioners declined to add two items related to the Westbard cemetery controversy to the agenda, despite an advance request by cemetery advocates. HOC is seeking to build a parking garage on top of the graves on the site of Westwood Tower, a property the commission plans to purchase from developer Regency Centers. Cemetery advocates had asked the commission to vote on the two proposed agenda items Wednesday to protect the graveyard.

Protesters hold poster board
tombstones with the names of
some of those buried in the
African-American cemetery on
Westbard Avenue

Commission Chair Jackie Simon began the meeting by announcing that anyone in attendance would have an opportunity to speak for three minutes at the end of the meeting. She warned attendees that "chanting, singing or other disruptive behavior" would be forbidden, and the "disruptive party" asked to leave. Simon reiterated the commission's previous position that it could not discuss the cemetery due to litigation underway in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Macedonia Baptist Church representatives have pointed out that there is no reason HOC cannot discuss the cemetery with the church, because MBC is not a party in any lawsuit against HOC.

"Give us

the vote!"

Simon also formally acknowledged receipt of a letter from MBC's Social Justice Director Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, and of more than 400 petitions from members of the community asking the HOC to allow an archaeological investigation of the cemetery, and to terminate its plan to build the garage on it.

When protesters peacefully approached the commissioners, Simon declared their effort "useless." Commissioner Richard Y. Nelson, Jr. told the African-American church representatives to "return to the back of the room." "You know, a bus driver said that to Rosa Parks," Coleman-Adebayo replied. Recounting the driver's threat to Parks that he would call the police if Parks didn't move to the back, Coleman-Adebayo quoted Parks in her response: "'You may do that.' I'm saying that to you."

"This reminds me

so much of what

was going on in

the South"

Protesters then began to chant, "Give us the vote!" as commissioners conferred on the dais. As chanting and singing continued, Simon temporarily adjourned the meeting and commissioners fled to an adjoining room, as protesters sang, "Jackie Simon, we shall not be moved." Montgomery County police officers summoned by the HOC stood at the front of the room, and said protesters were welcome to stay if they would allow commission business to proceed, or move their protest outside of the room.

Police officers negotiate
with leaders of Macedonia Baptist Church
after protesters successfully shut down the
HOC meeting

HOC's legal counsel again asserted that there would be no votes on the cemetery at the meeting. Eventually, she turned to the officers and said, "We are at an impasse." The Rev. Segun Adebayo, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, asked why the HOC came to mediation sessions with the church this summer and wasted their time, if they never intended to discuss the matter and take action. That mediation mysteriously was ended by the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County abruptly last month.

"We are at 

an impasse"

Police officers, it should be noted, handled the standoff in a respectful and professional manner. "I literally cannot remember if I am living in Montgomery, Alabama, or Montgomery County," Coleman-Adebayo said. "This reminds me so much of what was going on in the South, where you had police officers telling people who were only fighting for their rights to be quiet." "I'm not telling you to be quiet," the police officer negotiating with them said. "How can you be a part of this?" Coleman-Adebayo asked a second officer, who was African-American. "This is part of your history. Your ancestors could be under that ground. This is an environment of injustice. And how can you be a part of this? Please think about it, the next time you put that uniform on, because this is not justice at all."

"How can you be 

a part of this?"

Coleman-Adebayo asked the officers how they felt about being left to handle the argument while commissioners hid behind them in the next room. "Let them have the courage and the backbone to come out here." After 15 minutes of negotiations, the Commission emerged and reconvened the meeting.

When the public comment segment of the meeting began, resident Monica Goldberg asked that the cemetery not be "re-desecrated in the name of affordable housing." She said it shouldn't be so difficult to get a delineation of the cemetery to identify the locations of "bodies under the asphalt. That shouldn't be so hard," for the Commission. "It really shouldn't."

"Moral high ground?

You haven't got it on

this one, folks"

"Moral high ground?" asked resident Kevin Berends. "You haven't got it on this one, folks." "There is no moral backbone on this committee," Coleman-Adebayo testified, before leading a recitation of the names of some of those buried in the cemetery. Harvey Matthews, who grew up in the River Road African-American community associated with the cemetery and is a trustee at Macedonia Baptist Church, decried the repeated characterization of the cemetery by HOC and other County officials as hypothetical or speculative. "It just hurts me to come to these meetings and be told that the 'alleged cemetery'...."

"This should not ever be a debate," said Laurel Hoa, a resident representing Showing Up for Racial Justice - Montgomery County. "We should be better than this." She argued that descendants of those buried in the cemetery "deserve a place they can sit and be with their great aunt or great uncle." Hoa asked the commissioners to reflect on "the real harm that you are doing to the descendant community."

Ralph Wooden, whose great-grandfather bought the land he lives on along River Road, has a family cemetery on his property. But Wooden is white, and he noted that he and other white people rarely have to worry about a developer building on top of the graves of their ancestors. Black cemeteries deserve the same respect and protection, he suggested.

The testimony appeared to have an impact on at least one commissioner. After all cemetery advocates had spoken, Simon was attempting to move to the next agenda item when she was interrupted by Commissioner Margaret McFarland, who said she wanted to comment on the testimony. "I really appreciate all the statements and the input that we got from our guests today. I think it's very helpful, and very informative, and thank you for making statements that we can consider as we move forward."

"This could be the tipping point," Coleman-Adebayo said after the meeting adjourned, "where they realize they've hit a wall." Commissioners will have to weight whatever pressures they are under to stick to the development agenda against the potential that action against a black cemetery will follow them in their future political careers in progressive Montgomery County.

Westbard cemetery advocates to protest at HOC again October 4

Showing Up for Racial Justice - Montgomery County and advocates for the endangered African-American cemetery on the site of Westwood Tower will again protest at the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission meeting on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at 4:00 PM, at the commission's headquarters, located at 10400 Detrick Avenue in Kensington.

The protest is in regard to the HOC's plan with partner Regency Centers to build a parking garage on the historic cemetery, which holds many residents of the lost community established there on River Road after Maryland Emancipation. That community was wiped out by developers in the mid-1950s. Now, with the cemetery scandal - here we go again, another example of the institutional racism against black landowners in Montgomery County.

SURJ, Macedonia Baptist Church, descendants of those buried in the cemetery, and their supporters in the community are asking the HOC to allow the church to conduct a valid archaeological study of the burial site, and to publicly acknowledge that the sacred nature of it outweighs their development plans.

Participants in the protest should bring signs to hold. Suggested messages include:

DON'T PARK ON ME, HOC (my personal favorite)
BLACK LIVES MATTER IN LIFE AND IN DEATH
BLACK ANCESTORS MATTER
BLACK BURIAL PLACES MATTER
NO PARKING GARAGE OVER CEMETERY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING--YES! CEMETERY DESECRATION--NO!

Be forewarned that parking is very limited, as all of the parking lots are hogged by HOC, despite all we the taxpayers contribute to the HOC. There are some street parking spaces, and the surrounding residential neighborhood has permit parking restrictions. For that reason, carpool if you can.

Westbard cemetery protesters get another rude reception from MoCo HOC

"Your building sits on

top of my ancestors"

Representatives of Macedonia Baptist Church and their supporters in the community got another rude reception at yesterday's meeting of the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission. There to protest the HOC's plan to construct a parking garage on top of a historic African-American cemetery behind Westwood Tower in Bethesda, they found that HOC continues to aggressively defend its plans to build atop the cemetery, and avoid the mediation sessions with the church arranged for by Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. The continued impasse - and the growing realization that HOC is a primary actor in the conspiracy to cover-up the cemetery's existence - inspired yesterday's protest, which was organized by Showing Up for Racial Justice - Montgomery County.

"Those bodies matter

more than a

parking garage"

Laurel Hoa, an organizer with SURJ, testified during the community comment portion of the meeting, and requested the cemetery issue be added to the meeting agenda. Noting there are human remains of the first generation of free African-Americans in Maryland under the existing parking lot, she added, "I would like the commission to vote to confirm that those bodies matter more than a parking garage. This matter has been dragging on for months, and HOC has been sticking to its plans to build a parking garage on top of these bodies, and the community is saying, 'No, this is a desecration of this cemetery.'"

"Do I have to ask

you to leave?"

"Just so people understand," HOC Chair Jackie Simon announced, "we don't add items to our agenda that have not been discussed by our commissioners and staff." "This has been going on for months," Hoa interjected. "Excuse me," Simon interrupted. "Because we're in litigation, we certainly are not prepared to offer any thoughts." In reality, Macedonia Baptist Church is not a party in the litigation Simon referred to.

"You gotta leave"

Macedonia Baptist Church social justice director Marsha Coleman-Adebayo spoke next. "Your building sits on top of my ancestors," she said, "and I, as well as other people here, do not want to see a parking garage situated in that area." She then pointed out that HOC Executive Director Stacy Spann has dragged out the mediation process by repeatedly claiming he is unavailable for the next session.

Coleman-Adebayo said the church has informed Spann in writing that it will make any accommodation for his schedule, including holding sessions on weekends or holidays, if necessary, in an attempt to bring a rapid closure to the cemetery dispute. Spann has refused to respond to the church's offer, she said. "In fact, he's ducking from us, and he's hiding behind..." "Let's not have characterizations," Simon interrupted. "Whatever you want to call it, he is not available," Coleman-Adebayo replied, "I call it ducking and hiding."

"I call it ducking

and hiding"

"I'm sorry, but we'll have no discussion of this issue as long as litigation is pending," Simon said. She could not explain why Spann is avoiding mediation sessions with the church, nor why HOC is falsely claiming the church has something to do with a completely-separate lawsuit. When Coleman-Adebayo persisted on those two points, Simon banged her gavel. "Do I have to ask you to leave?" Simon asked. "You can do that if you like," Coleman-Adebayo replied. "I've asked you to either leave, or at least leave the microphone," Simon commanded.

A classic government

official cop-out

Macedonia trustee Harvey Matthews then attempted to speak, but was rebuffed by the commission. "Let him speak! Let him speak!" cemetery protesters chanted in response. Simon said she had offered Matthews the opportunity to submit comments in writing rather than allow him to address the commission - a classic government official cop-out, because direct written communications do not sway public opinion or embarrass public officials. "We do not intend to have a prolonged discussion on this while we are in mediation." Director Stacy Spann offered Matthews the options of contacting him in writing via email or snail mail.

"We're moving on"

As Matthews stepped away from the speakers' table, Kevin Berends took his place, attempting to ask the commission to vote on allowing Macedonia Baptist Church to conduct an archaeological study of the cemetery. He was interrupted by Spann.

"We're moving on. We're moving on, sir," Spann said. "The chair has been very clear. We've heard the last item on this." "All I'd like to say is," Berends replied, "how about granting permission to Macedonia to investigate the cemetery delineation, because HOC, and HOC alone, has the control over whether that can be granted. So, all we're asking is, would you please vote on that as to whether or not..."

"You'll have to go

outside"

"We are not voting on that," Simon asserted. "I've been as clear as I can be." "It would be a lot clearer if you said, 'yes,"" Berends answered to laughter from the audience. "Thank you, thank you," Spann interjected. "We're moving on."

"Let him speak!" protesters chanted from the audience. "You gotta leave if you're going to make noise," Spann warned. "This is a public meeting. You'll have to go outside''

"You can't disrupt our meeting," Simon echoed.

"You don't 

represent us"

"You said you wanted to have community comments," Coleman-Adebayo said, "and when the community went to the microphone, you told us we couldn't speak. You don't represent us. You do not represent us."

Silent cemetery protest scheduled for HOC meeting Sept. 6 at 4:00 PM

Showing Up for Racial Justice - Montgomery County is organizing a protest at the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission meeting on Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at 4:00 PM, at the commission's headquarters, located at 10400 Detrick Avenue in Kensington. The protest is in regard to the HOC's plan with partner Regency Centers to build a parking garage on a historic African-American cemetery behind Westwood Tower on Westbard Avenue.

SURJ, Macedonia Baptist Church, descendants of those buried in the cemetery, and their supporters in the community are asking the HOC to allow the church to conduct a valid archaeological study of the burial site, and to publicly acknowledge that the sacred nature of it outweighs their development plans.

Participants in the silent protest should bring signs to hold. Suggested messages include:

DON'T PARK ON ME, HOC (my personal favorite)
BLACK LIVES MATTER IN LIFE AND IN DEATH
BLACK ANCESTORS MATTER
BLACK BURIAL PLACES MATTER
NO PARKING GARAGE OVER CEMETERY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING--YES! CEMETERY DESECRATION--NO!

Be forewarned that parking is very limited, as all of the parking lots are hogged by HOC, despite all we the taxpayers contribute to the HOC. There are some street parking spaces, and the surrounding residential neighborhood has permit parking restrictions. For that reason, carpool if you can.

MoCo HOC audited by feds: 75% of units didn't meet HUD standards, 405 code violations found (Photos)

Montgomery County's Housing Opportunities Commission is in an aggressive expansion mode, but an audit of their existing housing by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found 56 out of the 75 HOC units inspected did not meet HUD standards. 405 code violations were found, 89 of which were deemed so serious that HUD required them to be corrected in 24 hours. The audit findings were first reported by the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County.

Would you use this moldy
shower at an HOC unit
in Montgomery County?

Auditors also learned that HOC was using its own contracted inspectors to inspect its units, a violation of Section 10.8 of HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Handbook. Violations found by HUD inspectors included missing smoke detectors, moldy and mildewed showers and ceilings, exposed sewer pipes, and an improperly-vented hot water heater that could have prevented gas from being exhausted out of the building properly. Combined with a second gas-related violation that "could result in an explosion," the findings are particularly disturbing after the 2016 Flower Branch apartments explosion, which killed 7 people.

One of two gas-venting
violations found in HOC housing
auditors said "could result in an
explosion"

In all, auditors determined that $44,887 in federal taxpayer money given to HOC could have been "put to better use" on housing that would comply with HUD standards, a waste of tax dollars during an affordable housing crisis. Auditors have advised HUD that it should require HOC to reimburse HUD for the wasted funds.

Exposed sewer pipe
where a toilet was removed
but never replaced

HOC is a partner with Regency Centers in the proposed redevelopment on Westbard Avenue in Bethesda. The audit report follows the revelation earlier this week that Regency Centers was in arrears to Montgomery County, having not paid taxes on two Westbard properties.

Once again, the Montgomery County Council has failed to perform its oversight role over the HOC.