'Groundbreaking' Progress on Housing Affordability for Montgomery County

In the face of a growing housing crisis in the United States, Montgomery County and Pennsylvanian leaders have stepped up to tackle unaffordability through collaboration and empathy.

This past Thursday, May 28th, Montgomery County unveiled the first ever Housing Blueprint: a "playbook for coordinated action" on housing affordability, as described by Commissioner Neil Makhija. The County Commissioners, as well as local officials and partners, also broke ground on the Town Center Residential: a 20 unit affordable rental community. The Center is part of the Valley Forge Presbyterian Church, which was the primary stakeholder overseeing the project. Once completed by early 2027, the Upper Merion Area Housing Association will manage the building.

Photo credit: Ellen Fang

2026 Housing Blueprint

The blueprint outlines long-term goals and strategies for the county’s housing, including rehabilitation/preservation of existing housing, increasing rental supply at diverse price points, and reducing homelessness, among others.

A primary focus of the blueprint is zoning adjustments. The Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC) conducts free zoning audits throughout the county to create recommendations for adjustments to improve housing affordability. 

Because of the high potential of zoning reform for increased affordability, the first major endeavor included in the blueprint is the Countywide Housing Needs and Zoning Assessment. This project will produce data and projections at the municipal level to benefit local communities while providing the county with direction. MCPC will also expand model ordinances and regulatory tool guides provided to municipalities, including new models such as faith-based development initiatives similar to the Town Center Residential and adaptive reuse. Finally, the county will work with municipalities to promote inclusionary zoning through incentives for developers and providing administrative support.

The blueprint’s final step is further incorporating housing programs into the Montco 2040 Grant Program. The county will give higher priority for projects enhancing existing supply or mitigating the costs of new housing in the 2026 cycle, creating new opportunities for growth.

The county also outlined a number of goals for the future, including:

1. Creation of a land bank

2. Greater use of legislative tools such as the Affordable Housing Unit Tax Exemption Act and the Pennsylvania Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act 

3. Use of Social Impact Bonds, or private/philanthropic-funded bonds, to fund affordable housing

4. Collaboration with labor organizations, schools, and the Montgomery County Community College to expand the residential construction workforce

The Town Center Residential

The new affordable rental building in King of Prussia represents Valley Forge Presbyterian Pastor Tim Dooner’s call to “embody love for our neighbor.” The building is a powerful example of the blueprint’s faith-based development, leveraging the church’s organization and congregant support.

Pastor Tim Dooner spoke about his church wanting to do something that embodies service to their neighbors. (LtoR: Commissioner Makhija, Dooner, Commissioner Winder, and Commissioner DiBello. Photo credit: Ellen Fang

The site, formerly a long-abandoned school building, is also an example of the blueprint’s adaptive reuse strategy. Now, it will serve 20 affordable units dedicated to essential workers who help the local economy and public schools, as noted by Commissioner Jamila Winder. The Center is also close to the King of Prussia Mall, one of the county’s largest employers, and is SEPTA-accessible. Most importantly, it is rent-stabilized below market rate for 30 years.

The center represents major collaboration between the county, state, and federal governments; Montgomery County provided $1.4 million in loan funding, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided over $4 million in grants towards the project. State Representative Tim Briggs emphasized the importance of continued collaboration across different levels of government, thanking the County Commissioners for “talking the talk and walking the walk.”

Looking forward, Pastor Dooner acknowledged that 20 units meets only a small fraction of the area’s housing needs and encouraged everyone to help fill a role. Last Thursday was a bright reminder that collaboration, creativity, and care for our neighbors are still powerful forces making our communities affordable for everyone. Valley Forge Presbyterian said “Yes in God’s Backyard”, or YIGBY, and now it’s time for the rest of the county to say yes in our backyards too.

Ellen Fang (left) and Jackson DeGuzman will be helping Montco 30% this summer while they are on break from UPenn and Cornell, respectively. They are pictured with Mike Hays (right), director and co-founder.