Archives: News & Updates

Notice of Publication
Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County
Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 through FY 2030 Five-Year Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan and Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan Revisions

The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC) has developed proposed revisions and new additions for its FY 2026-FY 2030 Five-Year Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan, in compliance with the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998. The revised and updated PHA Plan will serve as HOC’s FY 2026-FY 2030 Five-Year PHA Plan. Additionally, HOC is proposing related revisions to Chapter 22 (Housing Choice Voucher Project Base Program) of its Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan. The Administrative Plan defines and describes the policies for the operation of HOC’s Housing choice Voucher program.

These proposed changes to HOC’s PHA Plans and supporting documents are available for public review and comment on HOC’s website, www.hocmc.org. Materials are also available upon request at HOC’s administrative offices: Main Office: 10400 Detrick Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895; East Deer Park Office: 231 East Deer Park Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; Silver Spring Service Center: 880 Bonifant Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Derwood Service Center: 16105 Columbus Avenue Suite 200, Derwood, MD 20855.

1. HOC FY 2026 Proposed Five-Year PHA Plan Revisions
2. Form HUD-50077-ST – Certification of Compliance with PHA Plan and Related Regulations
3. Form HUD-50077-SL – Certification by State or Local Official of PHA Plans Consistency with the Consolidated Plan or State Consolidated Plan
4. Resident Advisory Board (RAB) comments on PHA Plan (coming soon)
5. Current MD004-HOC Five Year PHA Plan (FY 2020-2024) and MD004-HOC FY 2025 Annual PHA Plans
6. Housing Choice Voucher Family Self Sufficiency Action Plan
7. Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan
8. Public Housing Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP)
9. HOC’s Grievance Procedures
10. Public Housing Capital Fund Program Five-Year Action Plan: 2017-2021
11. HOC’s Violence Against Women Act Policy
12. Revisions to Chapter 22 (Housing Choice Voucher Project Base Program — coming soon)

The public comment period for these documents begins Monday, December 1, 2025 and ends on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. To be considered, all written comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 13, 2026. All written public comments may be directed by mail to Darcel Cox, Vice President of Compliance, at 10400 Detrick Avenue, Kensington, Maryland 20895, or e-mailed to plancomments@hocmc.org.

HOC will hold a public hearing on these documents at 3:00pm on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The public may observe the hearing in person at the Main Office or virtually via YouTube live-stream (see below) with closed captioning and/or teleconference. There will be an opportunity to provide oral comments on the day of the public hearing in person or virtually. Questions regarding observation or participation in the public hearing can be directed to Imani Benjamin-Johnson, Executive Assistant to the President, at (240) 627-9549, Maryland Relay Number 711 (TTY), or imani.benjamin-johnson@hocmc.org.

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Welcome to the November Edition of the HOC Newsletter! We’re excited to share the latest updates, events and valuable resources from HOC and our community partners. Stay informed, get involved and discover new opportunities this month! Montgomery County continues to stand as a community that works together to support one another during these unprecedented times. If you are in need of resources or assistance, please visit our Other Community Resources page for more information. View the newsletter.

Kensington, Md. – The Housing Opportunities Commission’s (HOC) Cider Mill Apartments and the HOC and Grady Management, Inc. teams were recently honored with multiple industry awards for excellence by the Property Management Association (PMA) Apartment Community Excellence PACE Awards.

The Montgomery Village complex received the PACE award as Community Excellence Property of the Year (2025): Affordable Community of the Year-Maryland. In addition, the Cider Mill Service Team was honored as a PMA Service Team of the Year. Grady Management Maintenance Technician Jose Rodriguez received an Individual Award of Excellence as a Most Valuable Player and Marvin Reyes, Grady Management Maintenance Supervisor, received an Individual Award of Excellence as a Most Valuable Player award for multiple properties.

“This is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of the hard work, dedication and teamwork that the entire team demonstrates every day,” said Ross Lloyd, HOC Vice President of Property Management. “Their commitment to excellence, resident satisfaction and operational performance truly shines through in this recognition.”

PMA comprises nearly 4,000 property management professionals in the Washington, D.C./ Maryland/Virginia market. Its PACE annual awards recognize outstanding achievements within the property management industry.

With 864 apartment homes, Cider Mill is the largest multifamily property in HOC’s portfolio and currently is at 94% occupancy, the highest ever under HOC’s ownership.

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About HOC

As Montgomery County’s designated Public Housing Authority and Housing Finance Agency, HOC serves approximately 17,500 renter households, owns more than 9,400 rental units and has provided mortgages to nearly 1,200 first-time homebuyers. HOC has also financed more than 4,000 affordable units for other developers and currently is working on 13 projects with 3,270 units (1,812 affordable) in various stages of development, including new construction and renovations. HOC also provides life-enhancing supportive services that help customers reach their fullest potential. For more information, visit https://www.hocmc.org/.

Kensington, Md. – The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC) and KGD Architecture were honored as recipients of the 2025 Award of Excellence in the Best Multi-Family Project: Montgomery County category for their work together on The Leggett and Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center (SSRAC).

The award was presented by the local chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, at its Annual Awards of Excellence Gala on October 23, 2025 at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. NAIOP celebrates local real estate achievements across Washington, D.C. and suburban Maryland.

Located in the heart of Silver Spring, The Leggett is a 267-unit, 16-story, mixed-income, multi-use community that sets a standard for senior apartment living. The building offers one- and two-bedroom homes for county residents aged 62+ years, with 238 apartments designated affordable.

The SSRAC, situated beneath the residential building, is a 120,000-square-foot state-of-the-art county recreational and aquatic facility. The building also houses a Holy Cross Health clinic.

Also in October, The Leggett and SSRAC were awarded the AIA Potomac Valley Commendation Award for Multifamily Architecture. The AIA Potomac Valley Jurors stated, “This mixed-use development is a true gift to the neighborhood. The jury was impressed with its strong social impact, especially the commitment to a community-focused design. With new pools, a health center, and dedicated senior living, the development shows a real understanding of the community’s needs, creating a new, vibrant hub for everyone to enjoy.”

AIA Potomac Valley is a local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, based in College Park, Md. The Chapter’s territory includes Charles, Prince George’s, Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties.

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About HOC

As Montgomery County’s designated Public Housing Authority and Housing Finance Agency, HOC serves approximately 17,500 renter households, owns more than 9,400 rental units and has provided mortgages to nearly 1,200 first-time homebuyers. HOC has also financed more than 4,000 affordable units for other developers and currently is working on 13 projects with 3,270 units (1,812 affordable) in various stages of development, including new construction and renovations. HOC also provides life-enhancing supportive services that help customers reach their fullest potential. For more information, visit https://www.hocmc.org/.

Rent Payment, Maintenance Requests, Recertifications

HOC residents can use the convenient, easy-to-use online RentCafé Resident Portal to pay rent, set up automatic payments, make maintenance requests, submit recertifications and communicate with property management. Implementation of RentCafé is central to HOC’s commitment to provide world-class customer service.

IMPORTANT: The RentCafé Resident Portal has replaced the old PayerExpress system you used for paying rent online. You must register, create an account and make future online rent payments through RentCafé. PayerExpress will be deactivated and no longer available for use after January 1, 2026.

Learn more »

NBC4 covers Emmanuel Brinklow’s upcoming Health Fair being held Sunday, October 19th.

Welcome to the October Edition of the HOC Newsletter! We’re excited to share the latest updates, events and valuable resources from HOC and our community partners. Stay informed, get involved and discover new opportunities this month! View the newsletter.

Welcome to the September Edition of the HOC Newsletter! We’re excited to share the latest updates, events and valuable resources from HOC and our community partners. Stay informed, get involved and discover new opportunities this month! View the newsletter.

DMV online news site Hoodline took note of HOC’s creative partnership with Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland and the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs that made recently renovated former HOC properties available to 20 low- and moderate-income families.