County Council Extends Rent Relief
The Prince George’s County Council has extended a limit on rent increases until October, following a Council hearing on April 9. The bill, originally introduced by Council member Krystal Oriadha (D- District 7), passed last February and capped rent increases at 3% over a 12-month period.
“Rent stabilization, without a doubt, keeps people from becoming homeless,” said Shannon Mouton of Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services (LARS). “However, it is not a long-term solution. And while we do support the rent stabilization extension, be very clear, LARS is asking this council to do all within your power to expedite development of affordable housing throughout the entire county for all residents.”
The one thing that supporters and opponents of the rent increase cap agreed on: new development of affordable housing would help to reduce housing costs.
“There is a housing supply shortage in the state of Maryland, and of course, across the region,” said Ryan Washington of the Apartment and Office Building Association. “Rent control is legislation that only puts a band-aid on a systemic issue that’s dealing with supply and demand. It will be financially infeasible for our members to continue to operate if they’re hampered with such cost and only allow to increase rent at such a low cap.”
County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) is expected to sign the six-month extension before the April 17 expiration of the current yearlong cap.
We previously wrote about the rent relief measures by the County Council; read more here.
District 6 Camera Giveaway Program Begins
Residents of Prince George’s District 6 are now being offered and installed free security cameras courtesy of a 2023 Council bill.
Last year, the County Council passed a bill to fund $250,000 worth of security cameras to District 6 residents; that program, however, has been slow to roll out. District 6 includes parts of District Heights, Forestville, Kettering, Largo, Mitchellville, and the unincorporated areas of Bowie, Capitol Heights, and Upper Marlboro.
Council Member Wala Blegay (D- District 6) is now gathering donated cameras and offering them mainly to seniors on fixed incomes. Her staff plans to work on scheduling a day in May to spread out and install the cameras and train the new users.
To get a camera, District 6 residents should contact the council member’s office at 301-952-3426. Click here for a map of District 6.
County Executive Alsobrooks Celebrates State Funds Allocated for Prince George’s
County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) was proud of the budget that emerged from the General Assembly, totaling nearly $200 million in funding for Prince Geoege’s projects in health care and economic development.
“This has been one of the strongest years we’ve seen legislatively for Prince George’s County and delivered in a year which started with really kind of grim predictions about how many resources would be available and what we could bring home,” said Alsobrooks in a roundtable discussion shortly after the legislative session ended. “And we have brought home, almost to the dollar exactly, the number that we requested.”
New county funds include $10 million for a new health facility in the Fort Washington area, $19 million for a women’s health center in Lanham, and $100 million to prepare the FBI headquarters in Greenbelt.
The state has also included money to demolish the old Cheverly Hospital, converting it to housing, and transforming the old Fairmont Heights High School into a film studio and soundstage.
Alsobrooks said there are more plans for improvements in Prince George’s.
“We’re continuing to make investments around the FedEx Field stadium, so I think it makes that whole area more and more valuable,” said Alsobrooks, while noting that these efforts continue regardless of the Commanders’ rumored attempts to move to Virginia. “As we’ve said from the beginning, we are one way or the other moving forward on the Blue Line corridor, so that the people who live in and around that FedEx area will enjoy the amenities that they deserve. We’re making the investments no matter what.”
