Act now to protect affordable housing in Langley Park!

The Problem:

The Purple Line promises to create positive change: commuting time will be drastically reduced, allowing workers to spend more time with their families and less time in cars, subways or buses.  Thousands of cars will come off the road, benefiting the environment, and economic opportunities will increase.

But for many residents in Langley Park, a neighborhood on the border between Montgomery County and Prince George's County, the construction of the purple line could mean the loss of their homes or apartments, and the destruction of the communities they have called home for years. 

The Langley Park community includes a large immigrant population and a vibrant local business scene. Construction of the purple line through this community would likely spur more development, but it is important that the people who currently live there get to enjoy the benefits of the purple line, instead of being priced out of their homes and businesses. 

If their housing is not protected, the ethnically diverse community that currently lives in the neighborhood could no longer afford to do so.  If local businesses are not protected, they could find their livelihoods threatened and leave as well, destroying the essential character of the community.

What we can do:

The Prince George's County Hearing Board will be accepting oral and written testimony in response to its draft Sector Plan that establishes priorities and objectives for purple line related development in the Takoma Langley Park area.  The draft plan needs comprehensive revision to prevent the negative repercussions that poorly planned redevelopment around the purple line in this area will inevitably foster. 

The Langley Park Sector Plan should improve the economic and social fortunes of Langley Park, keeping the vibrant character of the community alive.  Keeping the distinctive international flavor of the community depends on protection for small businesses and preservation of existing affordable rental housing.

To find out how to get involved, contact us at rabbi@jufj.org  or 202-408-1423.  Or come to our next Fair Purple Line meeting (listed at right).

For more information, see our briefing paper.