The “Housing for Jobs Act” was introduced by Maryland Governor Wes Moore to expedite development in areas with job-housing imbalances. But instead of rallying behind a bold solution, county officials pushed back, watering down the bill and delaying its progress.
Originally designed to require counties to approve qualifying housing projects, the bill was gutted after opposition from the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo). The revised version now calls for studies, vague housing targets, and a commission—far from the decisive action Maryland needs.
County officials claimed the bill had “substantive issues,” but their resistance reflects a deeper problem: local governments often prioritize control over solutions, even in the face of a statewide affordability crisis. How else can one explain their insistence that the Housing for Jobs Act’s very mainstream reforms are like “holding a gun” to a county’s head? Their insistence on “significant work” before supporting the bill has cost valuable time in a short legislative session.
Housing Secretary Jake Day and the Moore administration remain optimistic, but the damage from counties’ hysterical rhetoric is done. If county leaders continue to obstruct meaningful reform, they risk being complicit in worsening the crisis.
Marylanders deserve more than studies and commissions—they deserve homes. It’s time for local officials to stop stalling and start leading.
Read more about the struggle over the Housing for Jobs Act at Maryland Matters: With clock ticking, lawmakers still hope to iron out issues on Moore’s housing bill – Maryland Matters