2026 Candidate Questionnaire
County Council District 1
Debbie Spielberg (D)
Website: debbiespielberg.org
Find all candidate questionnaires here.
Housing Leadership
In your view, why are many Montgomery County residents struggling to afford housing?
Housing affordability is a challenge because costs have risen faster than wages, and many policies have focused on increasing overall housing supply without ensuring that new housing is actually affordable to the people who need it most. At the same time, we have not done enough to preserve existing affordable housing, so we are losing lower-cost units faster than we are replacing them.
What is one housing initiative you would plan to spearhead, if elected?
I would prioritize a comprehensive affordable housing preservation and production strategy focused on preserving existing affordable units and expanding affordable housing.
This would include increasing funding for the Housing Initiative Fund, including support for home purchases; supporting preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing; and strengthening requirements for MPDUs to ensure new development includes meaningful affordability. I would also prioritize family-sized units, which are in short supply.
Zoning, Supply, and Housing Prices
In your view, how does current zoning policy in Montgomery County affect the supply and price of housing?
Zoning plays a significant role, but the solution cannot be overly simplistic. When zoning changes are made without coordination with infrastructure, transit, schools, and community input, they can increase costs and reduce quality of life. We have seen policies that increase density without ensuring affordability or adequate infrastructure. Simply increasing supply without focusing on price and location does not guarantee affordability and can overlook the needs of existing communities.
What changes would you support to Montgomery County’s zoning policies to support greater housing affordability?
I support targeted, planned zoning changes through the master plan process, not piecemeal approaches. Key principles include aligning density with transit and infrastructure, requiring strong affordability components in new development, preserving and including tree canopy and green space, and ensuring meaningful community engagement with transparency. I also support reducing unnecessary duplicative, regulatory procedures that increase costs but do not serve the public interest.
Affordable & Market-Rate Housing
Please explain what you see as the role that each of these types of housing play in the housing landscape in Montgomery County, and the needs they fill for Montgomery County residents:
a. Affordable (subsidized) housing
Affordable housing is essential for residents who would otherwise be priced out of the county, including low-income families and seniors. It provides stability and allows people to remain in their communities. Without targeted subsidies and protections, the private market alone will not meet these needs.
b. Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing
Market-rate housing serves middle- and upper-income residents and provides overall housing availability. However, it does not reliably produce affordability for low- and moderate-income households without policy requirements.
What is one policy change in each area that you would pursue, if elected?
a. Affordable (subsidized) housing
I would strengthen the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit program to cover a wider range of affordability and housing types.
b. Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing
I would streamline costly development processes, keeping what is in the public interest and eliminate duplication.
Transportation & Smart Growth
What would you do to prioritize transit frequency and access if elected?
I would prioritize frequent, reliable bus service and continued expansion of Bus Rapid Transit, along with better alignment of transit routes with current (and future) travel patterns. Transit must be a real alternative to driving, which requires improving frequency, reliability, and connections between neighborhoods, jobs, and schools.
What would you do to ensure safe walking and biking access to transit, stores, schools and services for residents of existing and new housing?
We need to invest in sidewalks, safe crossings, and protected bike lanes where appropriate.
Community Input & Stakeholder Engagement
What organizations, stakeholders, datasets, or other sources of information would you turn to to understand the nuts and bolts of housing policy implementation, and how to craft effective policies that meet Montgomery County’s housing needs?
I would rely on residents and community groups through the master plan process, tenant organizations, housing advocates, labor groups, census, county and planning data and analysis from unbiased academic experts. Over 15+ years working in county government, I have learned that effective policy comes from listening to residents, engaging stakeholders early, and grounding decisions in real data and lived experience.