Maryland’s Other Housing Crisis: Permitting
Maryland is facing a severe housing shortage, with tens of thousands of affordable units needed to meet current and future demand. Yet despite ambitious goals and legislative efforts like the 2024 Housing Expansion and Affordability Act, the state’s permitting system remains a major bottleneck—delaying projects, driving up costs, and discouraging development. According to the Mercatus […]
No Controversy Here: Baltimore is Building a Better Future
On November 3, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott signed four groundbreaking housing bills into law, marking a significant step toward addressing some of the city’s most entrenched issues. Despite claims of being “controversial,” these necessary reforms are now serving as a powerful signal that the city is committed to growth and progress. Clearing the Way for […]
Montgomery County’s Masterclass in How Not to Build
Despite enacting a new Middle Housing bill, Montgomery County is quickly becoming a cautionary tale in housing policy. A recent article by Adam Pagnucco of Montgomery Perspective outlines why. During a recent meeting, County Executive Marc Elrich bluntly admitted that the county’s affordable housing program “kind of sucks.” Unfortunately, his proposed solutions—and the county’s broader […]
Gov. Moore Signals Long-Term Commitment to Housing
At the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) summer conference in August, Governor Wes Moore made it clear: Maryland must act faster to address its growing housing crisis. While details were limited, Moore hinted at a forthcoming initiative aimed at accelerating affordable housing construction statewide. The urgency is real. Maryland ranks 43rd in housing affordability, and […]
Where Will Maryland Find Half a Million New Homes?
New Housing Needs Assessment Quantifies State’s Shortfall The numbers are staggering: These were the conclusions reached in the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s 2025 update to the state’s Housing Needs Assessment, last conducted in 2020. The report shows not only how much our housing shortage has grown in those past five years, but […]
Sound Investments?
At the time of this writing, ballots were still being cast in the Presidential election. While there are many policy differences between the competing campaigns, there was surprising agreement on one issue: that institutional investors in real estate are a prime cause of our nation’s housing shortage. What do we mean by that term? And […]
Stopping Maryland’s Hidden Rent Hikes
The challenge of housing affordability is no longer confined to major urban hubs; it’s a crisis spreading across communities nationwide, affecting households at nearly every income level. While policymakers seek solutions, a new report sheds light on a counterintuitive truth: the proliferation of well-intentioned rental regulations, such as those currently in place in Maryland, is […]
Starter Homes = Lower Housing Costs
As housing affordability continues to challenge communities nationwide, a growing body of evidence shows that re-legalizing starter homes—small, modestly priced houses—can significantly reduce housing costs and expand access to homeownership. In a recent 2-part series, Greater Greater Washington’s Payton Chung outlined not just how constructing more starter homes can bring down prices in theory, but […]
MoCo Residents Want Housing Leadership – Will Officials Listen?
A recent poll commissioned by The Baltimore Banner reveals a growing sense of urgency among Montgomery County residents: affordable housing is a top concern, and many feel local leaders aren’t doing enough to address it. More than 80% of respondents said the lack of affordable housing is a serious problem. Residents are increasingly frustrated by rising housing costs and limited […]
Maryland’s Housing Crisis Will Take Years to Fix — But Action Starts Now
Governor Wes Moore’s recent executive order marks a bold step toward addressing Maryland’s deepening housing crisis. With a current shortage of over 96,000 units—and projections showing a need for nearly 600,000 more by 2045—the scale of the challenge is massive.