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1. When you hear the term "affordable housing", what do you think of? Please select all that apply.

Price controlled housing available to those below a certain income level
67%
Housing available at price points appropriate to meet demand
35%
Housing that is not price controlled, but is naturally lower priced due to age, size, and/or design, or location
27%
Housing choice vouchers (Section 8)
27%
Closed to responses | 153 Responses

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2. Are you aware the City has the following programs to assist people in affording a home? Answer "yes" if you were aware of the program or "no" if you were not.

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"Affordable Housing"

For the purposes of this survey, “affordable housing” will refer to lower-cost housing generally, which may be provided by price controls, naturally lower-priced housing, or other types of assistance and subsidies. “Regulated affordable housing” will refer specifically to price-controlled housing that is required and regulated by the City of Gaithersburg’s affordable housing ordinance. The City’s affordable housing ordinance requires any new construction or redevelopment containing 20 or more units to "set-aside" a minimum of 15% of the units as affordable to those below a certain income. For for-sale units, 7.5% must be Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDU) and 7.5% must be Workforce Housing Units (WFHU). For rental units, all 15% must be MPDUs. MPDUs are affordable to those making 50-80% of the area median income, and WFHU are affordable to those making 80-120%. For example, a development of 50 for-sale townhouses must include 4 MPDUs and 4 WFHUs, but an apartment building with 200 units must include 30 MPDUs.

 

MPDUs and WFHUs

The list below includes typical occupations of those who would qualify for regulated affordable housing in the City (MPDUs or WFHU described above). 

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Dental Assistants
Postal Service Mail Carriers
Chefs and Head Cooks
Electricians
Firefighters
Healthcare Social Workers
Paralegals and Legal Assistants

 

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3. Do you support the City's MPDU/WFHU program and think it should continue?

Yes
88%
No
12%
Closed to responses | 143 Responses

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4. Do you think this required set-aside provides enough affordable housing units to meet demand?

No
73%
Yes
27%
Closed to responses | 140 Responses

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5a. What is the best way to provide affordable housing? Please rank the following in order of most effective to least effective.

Closed to responses | 129 Responses

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5b. Are there other ways to provide affordable housing not listed in the previous question? If so, briefly describe below.

Closed to responses

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6. Market rate affordable housing refers to housing that is naturally lower-priced due to its age, design, size, and/or location, but it is not government regulated, price-controlled housing or part of any mandatory set-aside. Do you think it is important to retain this housing stock?

Yes
78%
No
22%
Closed to responses | 133 Responses

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7. Is it more important to provide affordable rental housing or affordable ownership housing?

Both
62%
Owner
25%
Rental
14%
Closed to responses | 137 Responses

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8. If the City had unlimited resources to provide the following forms of assistance, which do you think would have the greatest impact on the supply of affordable housing? Please select and rank the top five options.

Closed to responses | 126 Responses

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9. Below are potential benefits related to affordable housing. Please rank in order of most important to least important, or select no benefits.

Closed to responses | 125 Responses

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10. Below are some commonly voiced concerns related to affordable housing. Please rank in order of most important to least important, or select no concerns.

Closed to responses | 130 Responses

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11. Local governments have various ways to help people and families with average incomes become homeowners. Which of the following do you prefer?

Encourage construction of smaller, less-expensive homes and allow these homeowners to keep all of their profit when they sell their homes.
61%
Provide financial assistance to homebuyers, but limit (or eliminate) their profit from future resale
22%
Require the construction of new homes that are the same size as the other homes in a new community, but control the price of the home whenever it is sold.
16%
Closed to responses | 129 Responses

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12. Workforce Housing Units (WFHUs) in the City have price controls in place to ensure assure that these properties will remain affordable to future buyers of average incomes. How long should price controls apply to the re-sale of WFHUs?

For 30 years as currently required in the City
40%
In perpetuity, with each resale of the unit
30%
For a fixed length of time less than 30 years
20%
Only for the first sale of the new unit, which will reduce the number of WFHUs in the City over time as they are re-sold
11%
Closed to responses | 123 Responses

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13. Do you live within the City of Gaithersburg? If so, do you own or rent your home?

Yes, I live in the City and own my home.
52%
Yes, I live in the City and rent my home.
28%
No, I do not live in the City.
20%
Closed to responses | 134 Responses

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14. What is your age?

Over 50
54%
31-50
37%
18-30
8%
Under 18
0%
Closed to responses | 134 Responses