I have been representing modest-income neighbors in Takoma Park and Silver Spring as they try to resist these ruthless dynamics and stay in their community. In one case I helped to stop the effort of an absentee landlord to evict dozens of working families right before Thanksgiving. We have seen some real successes in certain cases but I’m tired of playing defense. I want to play offense to protect affordable housing here. When I am a Senator, I will work to craft policies to defend the interests of both homeowners and tenants who are feeling the squeeze and create incentives for property developers to offer more affordable housing.

As your State Senator, I will work to:

• Alleviate regressive property taxes that drive up rents and squeeze long-term residents out of the community.
• Promote inclusionary zoning policies and housing rules that ensure creation of new affordable housing units.
• Grant power to local governments to declare housing emergencies during periods of real estate frenzy and then regulate and slow down the pace of condo conversions, to ensure that local families have a fair opportunity to stay in their apartments and to purchase them.
• Support a thriving small-business community and ensure that big box stores and downtown development do not squeeze out small and minority-owned small businesses.