2026 Candidate Questionnaire
County Council At-Large
Laurie-Anne Sayles (D)
Website: sayles4moco.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 crisis is driven by a simple reality: we don’t have enough homes, and too many residents can’t keep up with rising costs. Limited supply pushes prices higher, while incomes haven’t kept pace. At the same time, federal job cuts and contract cancellations have created economic instability for many families, making housing even less attainable.
My focus is on SMART solutions: building more housing near transit, expanding missing-middle options, streamlining development, and preserving affordable units. We must also protect renters and invest in deeply affordable housing so Montgomery County remains a place where everyone can live and thrive.
What is one housing initiative you would plan to spearhead, if elected?
As an incumbent Councilmember, I passed the O.P.E.N. ZTA to accelerate affordable housing by cutting approval timelines and saving taxpayers millions. Moving forward, I will build on that progress by further streamlining approvals and expanding homeownership opportunities for working families. This includes advancing mixed-income housing near transit, strengthening public-private partnerships, and creating pathways for first-time and underserved homebuyers. My focus is smart growth, equitable development, and a more affordable, inclusive Montgomery County.
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 in Montgomery County has constrained housing supply and driven up costs by limiting diverse, attainable options like duplexes and apartments—especially near transit and jobs. I’ve advanced a smart growth agenda to modernize these policies by expanding transit-oriented development, increasing missing-middle housing, and streamlining approvals. We must continue removing outdated barriers and aligning zoning with our economic and equity goals. Increasing supply is essential to stabilizing prices and ensuring more working families can afford to live, work, and thrive in our county.
What changes would you support to Montgomery County’s zoning policies to support greater housing affordability?
As a Councilmember, I support zoning reforms that meaningfully expand housing supply and affordability through smart, targeted growth. I championed the More Housing N.O.W. legislation to allow a broader range of housing types—including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units—in areas with access to jobs, transit, schools, and amenities. I support prioritizing transit-oriented and commercial corridor upzoning, streamlining by-right approvals where appropriate, and reducing unnecessary delays that drive up costs. These changes should be paired with clear affordability requirements and predictable timelines to ensure development delivers housing people can actually afford while strengthening complete, connected communities across Montgomery County.
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 a cornerstone of Montgomery County’s housing continuum, meeting the needs of low- and moderate-income workers, seniors, and residents with disabilities. It prevents homelessness, stabilizes families, and ensures long-term community continuity. By linking housing to transit, jobs, and quality schools, it advances economic mobility and health outcomes. It also supports local economic growth through housing production and construction jobs, while reducing displacement pressures in high-opportunity areas. In my smart growth and affordable housing agenda, expanding deeply affordable units is essential to an equitable, inclusive county where all residents can thrive.
b. Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing
Market-rate housing plays a critical role in expanding overall housing supply in Montgomery County, which helps ease pressure on rents across the board. When we increase supply at all price points, we reduce competition for older, more naturally affordable units and help slow displacement in established neighborhoods. A healthy market-rate sector also supports economic stability, preserves neighborhood diversity, and strengthens the overall housing ecosystem. It is an essential complement to subsidized housing in meeting our county’s full range of resident needs.
What is one policy change in each area that you would pursue, if elected?
a. Affordable (subsidized) housing
To increase affordable housing, I will expand and enhance legislation from More Housing N.O.W., streamline approvals, and strengthen inclusionary housing requirements. By leveraging public and nonprofit financing, we can support private development near transit and job centers, ensuring that working families and essential workers can afford to live in Montgomery County.
b. Market-rate (unsubsidized) housing
Increase supply of market-rate housing by modernizing zoning to allow more by-right development, reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers and costs, and streamlining approvals. This smart-growth approach expands housing choice, improves affordability, and aligns with my broader affordable housing policy agenda.
Transportation & Smart Growth
What would you do to prioritize transit frequency and access if elected?
I would prioritize the development of frequent, reliable, and accessible transit by investing in and expanding the Flash Bus Rapid Transit system. I support advancing Vision Zero and fully implementing the Pedestrian Master Plan. My smart growth agenda emphasizes multimodal integration, last-mile connections, and equitable service for residents of all abilities. Additionally, community engagement is essential for understanding local needs and ensuring that all residents receive fair and equitable services.
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 recommend a 15-minute community vision that prioritizes safe pedestrian and bike paths, improved bus services, and upgraded infrastructure. This infrastructure would connect residents to transit, schools, stores, and essential services. The proposed smart transportation agenda emphasizes investing in protected bike and pedestrian infrastructure, enhancing bus frequency and routing, and implementing first- and last-mile solutions to improve access and safety. It is crucial to adopt policies that make public transit more convenient and affordable for everyone.
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?
Effective housing policymaking requires grounding decisions in real-world impacts, implementation realities, and evolving best practices. I engage regularly with local realtors, builders, nonprofit housing providers, and tenant advocates to ensure practical, balanced solutions rooted in community needs.
As a member of NACo’s Board of Directors, the Counties for Housing Solutions Cohort, and MWCOG, I regularly collaborate with regional and national leaders to expand housing supply and preserve affordability.
I also rely on nonpartisan research from the Urban Institute, Brookings Metro, Harvard JCHS, and HUD, alongside local reporting from Greater Greater Washington, WAMU, the Washington Post, Bethesda Beat, the Banner, and Maryland Matters.
To stay connected to on-the-ground implementation, I engage directly with partners like the Housing Opportunities Commission, Montgomery Housing Partnership, CASA, and local developers, while also drawing insights from publications such as Housing Matters and Strong Towns.