AHCMC 34TH Annual Summit Announces Headliners

May 1, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tiffany Kensey

Date: May 1, 2025


34TH ANNUAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES HEADLINERS

FOR MAY 9TH ANNUAL SUMMIT:

"WEATHERING THE STORM”


DATE:            May 9, 2025

TIME:             8:00AM Registration   Program Begins at 8:30AM

LOCATION:   North Bethesda Marriott Conference Center

5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville, MD 20852


The Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County (AHCMC) kicks off its 34th Annual Housing Summit. Special speakers include Maryland Lt. Governor, the Honorable Aruna Miller, Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congressman Glenn Ivey, acclaimed author and journalist Brian Goldstone ("There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America"), journalist and author Miranda Spivak, County Executive Marc Elrich, and former County Executive Ike Leggett.


This full-day event is devoted to listening, learning, discussing, debating, networking, and identifying solutions to the current affordable housing crisis. This year's theme, "The Future of Affordable Housing: Weathering the Storm," focuses on DOGE and its impact on the housing industry with specific attention to

affordability in Maryland and the DMV area.


Eight panel presentations with experts in the housing arena include topics ranging from budget cuts and costs for new construction and existing housing, maintenance and renovations, financing, zoning, housing for seniors and individuals with disabilities, transportation and housing, and rental vs. homeownership, etc.


A special awards program will recognize outstanding contributions in housing and community service. Honors include: Ike Leggett Community Partner of the Year, Eugene Ford, Sr., Builder of the Year, Sarbanes Excellence in Community Service, Sarbanes Excellence in Public Service, the Marvin Turner Affordable Housing Excellence Award, and Architectural Design Awards for New Construction and Renovations. Awardees include Brian Goldstone, Harkins Builders, Enterprise Community Partners, Bozzuto, Montgomery Housing Partners, and Donahoe Companies. The nationally recognized, Breaking the Barriers to Homeownership Contest will award first-time homebuyers down-payment and closing cost assistance grants to first-time homebuyers who submit winning essays on “What Homeownership Means to Me.”



This event is open to the press. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

2026 Affordable Housing Summit Postponed

April 15, 2026
Due to circumstances beyond our control our 35th Annual Affordable Housing Summit is being postponed until the fall.

Maryland Comptroller Releases Report on Housing and the Economy

October 16, 2025
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (October 16, 2025) — The Office of the Comptroller of Maryland today released the latest installment in its State of the Economy series: Housing and the Economy. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Maryland’s housing market, including trends in housing costs, supply and demand dynamics, and patterns of domestic migration—highlighting where Maryland residents are moving to and from. It also examines the relationship between housing affordability and availability, as well as their connection to broader economic performance. Learn More>>

3 Hurdles to Building Accessory Dwelling Units

October 15, 2025
Whether they’re called granny flats, backyard bungalows, or guest cottages, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are a growing trend in the residential sector and aim to help ease the nation’s housing shortage and affordability issues. Learn More>>

Montgomery County Supports 2,289 Affordable Homes in FY 2025

October 9, 2025
he Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) released an updated version of its final Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Affordable Housing Pipeline Report , along with its first quarterly update for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), showing that the County has significantly increased the number of affordable homes it is supporting through its financial investments. DHCA’s quarterly reports detail recently completed financing agreements, the number of affordable units to be produced or preserved in each project, and pending projects with affordable units that are in the pipeline for future development. Learn More>>

Mapping a Way Out of the US Housing Affordability Crisis

October 9, 2025
Sara Bronin, founder of the National Zoning Atlas, has won the Heinz Award for her ongoing project to map the land-use rules that restrict housing production. Learn More>>

Senate Bill 689/House Bill 1018 Conventional Home Mortgage Loans-- Assumption and Disclosures

October 1, 2025
This bill requires banking institutions, credit unions, and mortgage lenders to include a provision in all conventional home mortgage loans that allows any of the existing borrowers to assume the mortgage in the event of a divorce. This applies to both new and existing mortgages. You can review the new legislation in full here .

House Bill 273: Fairer Late Fees

October 1, 2025
Landlords can no longer charge late payment penalties based on the full rent amount. Maryland already capped late rent penalties at 5%, but some landlords applied that percentage to the entire month’s rent, even if most had already been paid. What’s new: Landlords must now calculate late fees only on the unpaid portion of rent. Weekly leases remain capped at $3/week, with a $12/month maximum. Example: Rent is $1,000, a tenant pays $800 on time, $200 is late. Before: fee could be $50. Now: fee maxes at $10. As a result of the new law, tenants who make partial payments will not be over-penalized. Landlords will need to revise lease forms, and unenforceable clauses could lead to tenant lawsuits for damages and attorney’s fees. You can review the new legislation in full here .

House Bill 1466/Senate Bill 891: Accessory Dwelling Units

October 1, 2025
This new legislation prohibits community associations from prohibiting or unreasonably restricting the construction and rental of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on lots with primary single-family detached dwelling units. A homeowners association has the authority, but not the obligation, to treat an ADU as a separate lot for purposes of voting and assessments. You can review the new legislation in full here .

House Bill 4/Senate Bill 120: Solar Collector Systems

October 1, 2025
The law currently states that community associations cannot impose unreasonable limitations on an owner who wants to install a solar collector system on their roof or the exterior walls of improvements exclusive to them, which significantly increases the cost or decreases the efficiency of solar installations. However, the term “significantly” was not precisely defined, leading to varied interpretations and enforcement. The new law sets an objective standard that a restriction is unreasonable if it would increase the cost of the solar collector system installation by at least 5% over the projected cost of the initially proposed installation, or if the restriction would reduce the energy generated by the solar system by at least 10% below the projected energy generation of the initially proposed installation. To show that the community association’s restriction is unreasonable, the owner needs to provide documentation prepared by an independent solar panel design specialist. Community associations may prohibit or restrict the installation of a solar collector system in the common elements/areas and regulate its size, number, or placement. You can review the new legislation in full here .

Addressing Washington, D.C.’s housing crisis

September 29, 2025
The nation’s capital has a severe shortage of affordable housing. Learn about the challenges and ways housing providers are working to meet the need. Learn More>>