2026 Candidate Questionnaire
County Council District 3
Jud Ashman (D)
Website: VoteJud.com
Find all candidate questionnaires here.
Housing Leadership
In your view, why are many Montgomery County residents struggling to afford housing?
Montgomery County’s housing affordability challenge is fundamentally about supply not keeping pace with demand - especially in the places people most want and need to live. We have good job centers, great schools, and access to transit, but we have not built enough housing - particularly missing middle and multifamily options - near those assets.
At the same time, construction costs, regulatory complexity, and lengthy approval processes add time and expense, which ultimately get passed on to renters and buyers.
The result is rising prices, limited availability, and too many residents being priced out of the communities they want to call home.
What is one housing initiative you would plan to spearhead, if elected?
I would spearhead or support any “More Homes Near Transit” initiative focused on increasing housing supply in walkable, transit-served areas - while ensuring those homes are attainable to a range of incomes.
That means modernizing our zoning to allow more missing middle housing - duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings - near transit corridors and activity centers, where infrastructure already exists. It also means streamlining the approval process so that projects that meet our policy goals can move forward more predictably and efficiently, reducing costs that ultimately get passed on to residents.
Zoning, Supply, and Housing Prices
In your view, how does current zoning policy in Montgomery County affect the supply and price of housing?
Montgomery County’s current zoning policies significantly constrain housing supply, which in turn drives up prices. Large portions of the county are zoned exclusively for single-family homes, particularly in areas near jobs, transit, and amenities - precisely where demand is highest. That limits the ability to add more attainable housing types like duplexes, townhomes, and small multifamily buildings.
At the same time, density restrictions, parking requirements, and lengthy approval processes make it difficult and costly to build new housing. When supply is artificially limited and costs are high, prices rise - both for renters and homebuyers.
In Gaithersburg, under my leadership, we've made a lot of progress in these areas, and I hope to do the same at the County level.
What changes would you support to Montgomery County’s zoning policies to support greater housing affordability?
I would support a set of targeted, practical zoning reforms that expand housing supply - especially in high-opportunity areas - while maintaining community character.
First, I would allow for more “missing middle” housing - duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings - in areas currently limited to single-family homes, particularly near transit, job centers, and along major corridors. This allows us to add housing in a context-sensitive way without dramatically changing neighborhood form.
Second, I would increase allowable density near transit through transit-oriented development policies, so we are making the most of existing infrastructure and reducing transportation costs for residents.
Third, I would streamline and standardize the approval process - creating clear, by-right pathways for projects that meet our policy goals. Predictability reduces delays, lowers costs, and ultimately improves affordability.
Taken together, these changes would help us produce more housing, in more places, at a wider range of price points.
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 an essential piece in ensuring that Montgomery County remains an inclusive, economically vibrant community where people at all income levels can live and thrive. It serves residents who would otherwise be priced out of the market entirely- seniors on fixed incomes, individuals with disabilities, and working families in essential roles like education, healthcare, retail, and public safety.
Beyond meeting basic housing needs, subsidized housing provides stability, which is foundational to success in school, employment, and health outcomes. It also helps prevent homelessness and reduces displacement, allowing residents to remain in their communities and close to jobs, transit, and support networks.
From an economic perspective, it supports our workforce and local economy by ensuring that employers can attract and retain talent across income levels.
b. Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing
Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing is the backbone of Montgomery County’s housing supply and plays a critical role in meeting demand across a wide range of incomes. It provides the majority of new housing production and is essential to accommodating population and job growth. When we build enough market-rate housing - especially in high-demand areas - it helps moderate overall price increases and reduces pressure on the existing housing stock.
Market-rate housing also supports mobility within the housing ecosystem, giving residents options as their needs and incomes change, and helping to free up more affordable units over time. In addition, it generates property tax revenue that supports public services and helps fund affordable housing programs.
What is one policy change in each area that you would pursue, if elected?
a. Affordable (subsidized) housing
One policy I would pursue is strengthening public-private partnerships to accelerate the production and preservation of affordable housing. By working more closely with mission-driven developers and the Housing Opportunities Commission, we can better align public resources—such as financing tools, tax incentives, and regulatory flexibility—with private sector capacity and expertise.
b. Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing
One policy I would pursue is improving the efficiency, predictability, and transparency of the approval and permitting process for market-rate housing. Today, delays, uncertainty, and inconsistent timelines add significant cost and risk to projects - costs that ultimately get passed on to renters and homebuyers.
I would work to streamline review processes, set clear and consistent timelines, improve interagency coordination, and expand the use of concurrent reviews where appropriate. By making it easier to move well-designed projects through the pipeline, we can lower development costs, increase housing production, and help moderate price pressures across the market.
Transportation & Smart Growth
What would you do to prioritize transit frequency and access if elected?
I would focus resources where they have the greatest impact - on high-ridership corridors and routes serving transit-dependent communities. That means investing in more frequent, all-day service; expanding bus rapid transit and dedicated bus lanes to improve speed and reliability; and ensuring strong first- and last-mile connections through safe walking, biking, and micromobility options. I would also work to better align land use with transit by concentrating housing and jobs near high-frequency routes, and advocate for sustained, dedicated funding so service levels are reliable and resilient over time.
What would you do to ensure safe walking and biking access to transit, stores, schools and services for residents of existing and new housing?
I would accelerate investment in complete streets - sidewalks, protected bike lanes, safe crossings, and traffic calming - especially near transit, schools, and commercial areas, while closing sidewalk gaps and ensuring ADA accessibility. We've made a lot of progress on these initiatives in Gaithersburg.
I would take a data-driven approach to target high-injury corridors for redesign, using proven tools to slow traffic and reduce conflicts. Just as importantly, I would align land use and transportation so new housing - particularly near transit - is paired with safe, direct pedestrian and bicycle connections from the outset. Finally, I would strengthen coordination among the County, municipalities, and schools to deliver these improvements more efficiently and consistently.
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?
At the local level, I would work closely with Montgomery County’s planning and housing agencies - particularly the Montgomery County Planning Department and the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs - as well as the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. These agencies have deep data, modeling capacity, and on-the-ground experience with zoning, permitting, and housing programs.
I would also engage nonprofit and advocacy partners like Coalition for Smarter Growth as well as tenant groups and affordable housing providers, to understand lived experience and program effectiveness.
Equally important is input from the private sector - developers, builders, lenders, and property managers - who can speak to feasibility, financing, and the real-world impact of regulations on whether projects move forward.
On the data side, I would rely on sources like the U.S. Census Bureau (including ACS data), local housing production and pipeline reports, rent and price trend data, and regional forecasts from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. I would also look to research from organizations like the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution to benchmark best practices.
Finally, I would stay grounded in direct community engagement - hearing from residents, renters, homeowners, and employers - to ensure that our policies are also responsive to the real needs of the people we serve.