Montgomery County is finally near the top of a list again - but it's not one you want to be high on. The County experienced the second-biggest increase in homeless population in the entire Washington, D.C. region since 2023, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Washington, D.C. itself was number one on the list. COG reported that Montgomery County's arch rival, Fairfax County, was the only jurisdiction in the area to enjoy a decrease in unhoused residents.
Of course, Fairfax County has many more high-wage jobs than Montgomery County, which helps one to afford housing. Politicians often tout MoCo's low unemployment numbers, without mentioning that most of the jobs our residents are employed at are not located within Montgomery County. Fairfax also has a lower total tax burden and cost-of-living than Montgomery County. Property taxes are set to rise again in the FY-2025 budget nearing approval by the Montgomery County Council, in a jurisdiction where property taxes are becoming a second mortgage for many residents as it is. And that's just one part of the total tax and fee burden for MoCo residents.
Rents and home prices, despite relentless construction and delivery of new housing units, only continue to skyrocket in Montgomery County. And thousands of existing affordable housing units are being demolished to clear the way for more overpriced "luxury" housing. A ridiculously-high cost-of-living combined with some of the lowest job creation and job growth numbers in the region are a recipe for increasing poverty and homelessness. Montgomery County has failed to attract a single major corporate headquarters in a quarter century, as company after company has chosen to locate or flee to Northern Virginia over that long, dry period of moribundity. As a result, more jobs, and more high-wage jobs, are created every year in Fairfax County than in Montgomery County - in fact, the numbers aren't even close.
Montgomery County has dropped off of so many top ten lists - Forbes' Top Ten Richest Counties in America, Top School Systems in America, etc. - that it's almost a positive feeling to be on any top ten list. Almost. Perhaps the Montgomery County cartel can create some new slogans: "Montgomery County: We're Number Two in Unhoused Population - We Try Harder (To Make It More Expensive to Live Here)." Or, "The Number of Montgomery County's Unhoused - Rising Almost as Fast as County Councilmembers' Salaries!"
18 comments:
I wonder how much is due to mental illness. Is there a correlation with CBD legalization?
I've read account of how some of these people are impossible to live with. One was a story of a woman having to drop her brother off to live at the train station because you could not live with the guy.
What's funny is you weren't able to include any data in this diatribe because the actual facts immediately disprove your "Fairfax is amazing and MoCo sucks" gibberish.
Fairfax: 1,278 homeless individuals (1.1% of population)
MoCo: 1,144 homeless individuals (1.08% of population)
bidens america
It's over, we just might get a 4 to 8 year 'stay.'
Informative article! A shame that moco council is only reactionary when it comes to job growth or even retaining jobs in county. Disagree with your causes of increased homelessness. 1) moco has a market for expensive housing; it is difficult to fight against that, 2) Many moco homeless are young enough to work but don't want to 2a) it can be easier for moco homeless to earn $ pandering so work is lass attractive 3) Likely to get a job one needs an address?...moco could find a solution to #2 such that some temp address could allow them to start work and start building wealth again
Not to worry, help is on the way:
https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/master-plan-list/general-plans/thrive-montgomery-2050/
2:59: $2 million duplexes aren't likely to solve the homeless problem.
3:19 AM It will solve the problem by forcing the homeless to an adjacent municipality.
The first response is right. Much of this is due to mental illness, just not necessarily what the author was suggesting.
The entire DC area is mentally ill. Not everyone was meant to fit in the narrow boxes that define success in the area. Montgomery County has become a rabid monster that devours everything powerless and sends the spoils to the top.
"Dahling, these poor little people must be crazy. They don't wanna work. They don't wanna live in million dollar cages. They don't wanna be us."
Montgomery County is a 737-9 MAX coming in hot, and don't be shocked when first class goes up in flames too.
@2:02 Myths
@7:37 Exactly right.
Link for reference:
https://www.mwcog.org/newsroom/2024/05/15/annual-count-reveals-rise-in-homelessness-across-metropolitan-washington--homelessness-housing-pit-point-in-time-shelter/
"As COVID-era housing protections (such as eviction moratoriums and emergency rental assistance supported by federal pandemic relief funding) have ended, the amount of people experiencing homelessness in the region has risen. This year’s count shows a three percent increase over 2020’s count, the first time the population of people experiencing homelessness in the region has surpassed pre-pandemic levels."
@2:02
"The greatest share of single adults experiencing homelessness are above the age of 55."
$2m? You need to get beyond the BCC bubble, Robert. Duplexes (usually 2 over 2s around here) and low-rise condo buildings are very much key to providing sub-$400K housing options to county residents as well as to nonprofits who assist in placement of individuals who would otherwise be homeless.
8:59: It's COG and GGW and other developer-funded groups who are in the bubble. If a TH is $1M in Bethesda, what would a larger duplex with half a lot front-and-back be worth?
Where is there anything new constructon under $400K in Montgomery County? LOL. Not even condos, much less duplexes. I am not the one in the bubble here. In fact, Aspen Hill just had its first $1.5 million home sold.
8:13/7:37: "Exactly" wrong. Fairfax County's population is larger than ours. It's not surprising they might have a higher homeless population relative to that.
If it was a nationwide COVID issue, then Fairfax's homeless population wouldn't have shrunk over the last year, while ours went up. Clearly, we failed in comparison.
The report also shows that Fairfax's homeless population only increased 23% since 2020, while ours skyrocketed by 71% over the same period.
The Montgomery County Council just needs to take the L on this one.
Montgomery County- 1,144 homeless individuals in a population of 1,058,474 (2023)
Fairfax County- 1,278 homeless individuals in a population of 1,141,878 (2023 est.)
Pretty similar.
Does MoCo need to address its increase in homelessness asap, yes, of course. But your argument conflating percentage increases vs. absolute figures, which are pretty similar for both counties, is just hyperbole.
3:47: The trends - including the central issue at hand, Montgomery County having the 2nd-highest increase in homeless population in the region, while Fairfax reduced its unhoused population during the same period - do not favor Montgomery in a comparison with Fairfax.
We don't have very smart or ethical people governing us, and we can be okay admitting that.
Robert: "Fairfax County's population is larger than ours. It's not surprising they might have a higher homeless population relative to that."
This has already been explained to you. Fairfax's homelessness RATE is also higher than MoCo's.
Fairfax: 1,278 homeless individuals (1.1% of population)
MoCo: 1,144 homeless individuals (1.08% of population)
Why are you so desperate to ignore reality? What is your obsession with Fairfax?
Robert: "Where is there anything new constructon (sic) under $400K in Montgomery County? LOL"
There are currently a few hundred 2-over-2s and condos for sale under $400K. I don't know why you think only new construction counts, but many new construction projects do in fact have sub-$400K options, whether MPDU or market rate.
7:38: You're trying desperately to move the goalposts away from the embarrassing COG report that shows MoCo's homeless population grew significantly - 2nd most in the region - over the last year, while Fairfax reduced its unhoused population during the same 12 months.
As I noted, MoCo had a much greater increase of homeless since 2020 than Fairfax.
Thrive 2050 is not about existing housing - it's about allowing multifamily new construction in single-family-home neighborhoods. None of that new construction will be under $400,000. There won't be MPDUs, because virtually none of the Thrive 2050 projects will contain enough units to require MPDUs.
I don't know if you were the original commenter, but the suggestion was made (serious or sarcastic) that Thrive 2050 would solve the homeless problem. COG has similar talking points. That is what I was responding to.
We can all rest assured that Thrive 2050 - market-rate luxury apartments, condos, duplexes, quadplexes, etc. - will neither solve the unhoused problem nor the affordable housing "crisis." It will line the pockets and bank accounts of private developers and their puppets on the County Council, however.
As we speak, there's a homeless sleeping or dead at the base of a big tree behind an Aldon property bldg steps from tenants exterior doors where folks whom live at Whitehall can step out in their balconies and admire...
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