ROCKVILLE, Md. — Tyree Davis IV is a recent arrival to Rockville from the Midwest. He moved to the city in 2022, but he already calls it home.
“We are one of the most diverse cities in America,” he says. “The county has some good opportunities, the city has some good opportunities, so I don’t foresee moving, and I’ve enjoyed it thus far.”
Yet in those two years, Davis has already been hit with two rent increases, first 11%, and then again for another 9%. Coupled with rising costs on things such as insurance, he’s forced to ask some hard questions.
“My salary is not matching that,” Davis admits. “What am I going to sacrifice in order to stay in this place? Or am I going to have to leave the community I’ve called home, the relationships I’ve built to be able to afford something else?”
Many in Rockville are asking themselves the same questions as rents rise across the city. City data shows that more than half of Rockville’s residents are renters, but community groups providing renters’ assistance say the high rents are already causing the city to lose people.
“We’re seeing educators, police officers, essential workers that’re vital to the well-being of the city are leaving because they can’t afford to stay,” says Alex Vazquez, Organizing Director for Casa.
Back in July, Montgomery County enacted rent stabilization legislation, which included a hard cap at 6% for annual rent increases.
However, since Rockville has its own housing authority, it’s exempt from the legislation.
That means there’s no cap on rent increases for Rockville properties, and Councilmember Zola Shaw says renters are struggling to keep up.
“I spent some time in rent court, many of them are getting evicted for rent increases that would be illegal in the county,” Shaw says.
Shaw says rent increases ranging between 10%-30% are common in Rockville. She also highlights the impact of these increases are felt harder on certain communities.
“Those disproportionately impacted are Black and brown, working class, and seniors on a fixed income,” she says. “When Rockville talks about and is very proud of its diversity, we don’t see that in the way we’re making policy, in the way we’re making decisions, because we’re essentially pricing out our diversity.”
Shaw is now calling for Rockville to enact its own rent stabilization measures.
Vazquez says the time to act is now to help people avoid the traumatic experience of eviction, because funding that used to be available for rental assistance during the pandemic is gone.
“The federal money that was once abundant during the pandemic has dried up,” Vazquez says.
Davis also says if something isn’t done soon, he may have to find somewhere else to call home.
“If the city won’t do what it needs to do to keep us protected, then what is that saying to me but, ‘Get Out?'” he asks.