Social Programs
Racial equity office, food systems, guaranteed income, street outreach
Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice
ORESJ was created unanimously in November 2019 under Bill 27-19 and has grown from $375,860 to about $1.6 million. It requires racial equity impact assessments on legislation, supplemental appropriations, and budget decisions. A September 2025 OIG review of Racial Equity and Social Justice Act implementation issued findings and recommendations that remained open into 2026. Fairfax's comparable "One Fairfax" has a Chief Equity Officer but no legislatively mandated standalone office with binding requirements across all departments.
Office of Food Systems Resilience
OFSR was created by Bill 20-22 in July 2022. Its budget surged from approximately $1.1 million in FY2024 to $13.8 million in FY2026 — many times larger than the racial equity office. With a small full-time staff, the office administers community food assistance grants, nonprofit contracts, and MC Groceries. No peer county operates a comparable standalone food systems office at this scale.
MoCo BOOST guaranteed income
MoCo BOOST provided $800/month for 24 months to 300 households beginning summer 2022 — Maryland's first guaranteed income pilot. Total cost was approximately $6.3 million. Subsequent budgets maintained Guaranteed Income NDAs, suggesting continued investment beyond the original pilot framing.
Street Outreach Network
SON, part of DHHS's Positive Youth Development Initiative, received a $5.5 million expansion in FY2023 for mental health, case management, and violence intervention across all high schools. No standalone published effectiveness evaluation was identified — the program's crime reduction metrics are not publicly detailed. DHHS overall received about $574 million in FY27.