Montgomery County officials are taking their first stab at providing affordable housing for government employees today, putting 49 partially subsidized condos on the market.
County and Rockville employees can apply to purchase one of 49 condos in the Village at King Farm, part of Rockville’s King Farm community. The county will spend $9.5 million on the complex, when financing is included, plus about $26,000 per condo to upgrade them and remodel common areas.
The two- and three-bedroom units are now on the market for between $205,000 and $380,000 apiece, with priority given to first responders and teachers, although other Montgomery and Rockville workers and residents can also apply. Condos with two or more bedrooms nearby have sold for between $400,000 and $458,000 during the past six months.
Local union leaders have long complained that Montgomery County is too expensive for many of their members.
In the spring, Bonnie Cullison, president of the Montgomery County Education Association, reminded council members that nearly one in three of Montgomery’s teachers live outside the county. Police officials say roughly 27 percent of officers live elsewhere too.
John Sparks, head of the Montgomery County fire and rescue workers union, said Wednesday that 80 percent of his members live outside the county.
“Probably some of them that do live here live with their parents,” Sparks said. “It’s terrible. If you are a first-time homebuyer, I think this program is something our members would strongly consider.”
Rick Nelson, head of the county’s department of housing and community affairs, said it is worrisome to have the vast majority of fire and rescue workers living outside Montgomery.
“If there is a catastrophe or fire, and you need to call people in, well some of them live a few hours away,” Nelson said. “That’s no good.”
The school district sends a bus to West Virginia that picks up teachers before dawn every day to bring them to work in Montgomery County, Nelson said.
“We have people getting on a bus at 4:30 in the morning who then have to teach our kids,” Nelson said. “That means they are tired when they get to work, that’s not good for anybody.”
The condos are expected to be ready for occupancy by the end of February.
