2026 Candidate Questionnaire
County Council District 3
Izola Shaw (D)
Website: izola4progress.org
Find all candidate questionnaires here.
Housing Leadership
In your view, why are many Montgomery County residents struggling to afford housing?
A growing number of Montgomery County residents are having a tough time finding homes they can actually afford. There just are not enough houses or apartments with prices that make sense for most families. Affordable housing means you should not have to spend more than thirty percent of your income on rent or a mortgage. As housing prices keep rising faster than wages, and with federal job cuts affecting the region, this problem keeps getting worse.
Local zoning laws add to the challenge by restricting where and what kinds of homes can be built. Most of the new places going up are aimed at people with higher incomes, not at the average county resident, especially renters. Public funding for affordable housing has fallen short, and as construction costs climb and the economy feels uncertain, it is even harder for builders to take the risk of creating homes that regular families can afford.
To fix this, Montgomery County needs to do more to expand and protect affordable housing, especially near transit. The county should update zoning rules to allow for more housing options, introduce protections that keep rent increases in check, and make meaningful investments in building homes that families on typical incomes can actually afford.
What is one housing initiative you would plan to spearhead, if elected?
I will prioritize expanding the Housing Production Fund, which is central to Montgomery County’s ability to create and preserve affordable housing. As a Housing Opportunities Commissioner, I oversee the HOC’s $400 million budget, which supports the development of tens of thousands of new homes across the county.
The Housing Production Fund is designed to be flexible and responsive. It enables us to act quickly to acquire land, preserve existing affordable units, or support the construction of new homes when opportunities arise. This flexibility allows us to partner with both nonprofit and private developers, ensuring we can meet the diverse and evolving needs of our community.
Investing in the Housing Production Fund is essential for Montgomery County to stay competitive in a rapidly changing real estate market, prevent displacement, and provide homes near jobs, schools, and transit. By leveraging public dollars to attract private investment, we can maximize our resources and expand access to safe, affordable housing.
Zoning, Supply, and Housing Prices
In your view, how does current zoning policy in Montgomery County affect the supply and price of housing?
Current zoning policy in Montgomery County has a major effect on both the supply and price of housing. Much of the county is zoned for single-family homes on large lots. This limits how many new homes can be built and where they can be located. As a result, the overall housing supply is restricted, especially in areas close to public transportation, jobs, and schools. These are places where many people want to live.
With so much land reserved for low-density development, it becomes harder and more expensive to create homes that most families can afford. The current rules also make it difficult to build apartments, townhomes, or other types of housing that would give people more affordable choices. That means working families, young adults, and seniors have fewer options.
When zoning limits what kinds of homes can be built, it drives up prices and prevents people who cannot afford the limited supply from living in these communities. To make housing more affordable and accessible, Montgomery County should continue to update its zoning to allow a wider variety of homes in more neighborhoods, especially near transit and job centers.
What changes would you support to Montgomery County’s zoning policies to support greater housing affordability?
To support greater housing affordability in Montgomery County, I support changes to zoning policies that allow for a wider range of home types and create more opportunities for people to live near jobs, schools, and public transit.
I support updating zoning laws so that duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and small apartment buildings can be built in areas that have traditionally allowed only single-family homes. This would open up more choices at different price points, especially in neighborhoods close to transit, shopping, and workplaces.
I believe zoning changes should focus on locations near public transportation and major job centers. Concentrating new housing in these places makes it easier for people to get around, helps lower transportation costs, and supports walkable neighborhoods.
I also support streamlining the development approval process. Making the process clearer and more predictable allows builders to plan better and deliver new housing more quickly, while still ensuring community input and high standards for design and sustainability.
Most importantly, I would encourage the inclusion of more affordable and workforce units in new developments. By requiring or incentivizing a share of homes in new projects to be affordable to moderate and middle-income residents, we can ensure that growth is equitable and that people who work in Montgomery County can afford to live here.
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 (subsidized) housing is essential for many Montgomery County residents who earn lower wages or face financial challenges. Public investment and smart regulations make these homes possible. By requiring new developments to set aside a portion of units as affordable, the county ensures that rent or mortgage payments stay within reach for local families. This approach helps keep housing costs in line with what people actually earn. Subsidized housing helps prevent homelessness, supports economic stability, and ensures that essential workers, such as those in education, healthcare, and service jobs, can live in the communities they serve.
b. Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing
Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing also plays a vital role in the county. It provides options for people across a wide range of incomes, not only those who do not qualify for subsidies, but also those who may qualify but cannot secure an affordable unit due to multiple barriers. Market-rate housing includes apartments, condos, and single-family homes, and is critical for meeting the diverse needs of county residents. Given ongoing affordability challenges, reasonable tenant price protection and anti-gouging measures are also needed in the market-rate sector.
What is one policy change in each area that you would pursue, if elected?
a. Affordable (subsidized) housing
For affordable (subsidized) housing, I would pursue a policy to significantly increase local funding for the Housing Production Fund. By expanding this flexible fund, Montgomery County could move quickly to acquire land, preserve existing affordable homes, and build new housing where it is needed most. This would help close the gap between what is available and what low-income residents actually need, while also allowing the county to respond to opportunities as they arise.
b. Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing
For market rate housing, I would champion the adoption of strong tenant price protections and anti gouging measures, especially in District 3, which currently offers fewer safeguards for renters and sees higher eviction rates than other parts of the county. These protections would prevent unfair practices by landlords and provide tenants with the stability and predictability they need to plan for their housing costs. This approach would help keep market rate housing stable and accessible for a wide range of residents, including those who do not qualify for subsidized housing but still struggle with high rents in Montgomery County. By making sure tenants are not vulnerable to sudden or unreasonable rent increases, we can create a fairer housing market and build stronger, more resilient communities.
Transportation & Smart Growth
What would you do to prioritize transit frequency and access if elected?
I would prioritize increasing transit frequency and access by advocating for more frequent and reliable service throughout Montgomery County. I would support investments that reduce wait times, extend service hours, and improve connections between neighborhoods and job centers. With Rockville recently receiving a Transit-Oriented Development designation, there are new opportunities to leverage state support and funding to make transit more accessible and convenient for more residents.
What would you do to ensure safe walking and biking access to transit, stores, schools and services for residents of existing and new housing?
To ensure safe walking and biking access to transit, stores, schools, and services, I would focus on building and upgrading sidewalks, crosswalks, and protected bike lanes that connect homes to key destinations. I would work to close gaps in the pedestrian and bike networks and set strong requirements for both new developments and improvements in existing neighborhoods. I would invest in the ongoing efforts to bolster our Vision Zero plan.
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?
To understand the nuts and bolts of housing policy implementation and craft effective policies for Montgomery County, I would turn to a broad range of organizations, stakeholders, and data sources.
Locally, I would work closely with the Coalition for Smarter Growth, Montgomery Housing Partnership, unions, and Housing Justice Montgomery, all of which bring valuable expertise in affordable housing, tenant rights, and equitable development. Engaging with tenant associations and resident groups is also crucial, as they can share firsthand experiences with housing challenges, identify gaps in current policies, and help shape solutions that reflect the needs of people most affected.
I would seek input from nonprofit service providers, neighborhood civic associations, faith-based organizations, and community leaders to ensure we are hearing from a wide range of perspectives, including underserved and marginalized communities. Regular community forums, listening sessions, and partnerships with grassroots groups would be part of my approach to make sure policy decisions are informed by those who live and work in Montgomery County.
On the technical side, I would rely on data and analysis from the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the Housing Opportunities Commission, and local planning staff. I would also use datasets from the U.S. Census, the American Community Survey, and regional housing market reports to understand trends in supply, demand, rents, and home prices.
Finally, I would draw on research and best practices from the Urban Institute, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Smart Growth America, and examples from other communities tackling similar challenges. By combining robust data with meaningful community input, I believe we can develop policies that are both effective and equitable for all Montgomery County residents.