Governor Wes Moore’s initiative to repurpose surplus state-owned land for affordable housing is a bold and necessary move—but it’s proving to be a complex and slow process.
Despite legislation passed in 2022 requiring the identification of unused properties suitable for residential development, progress has been minimal.
Strict criteria—such as access to infrastructure, location within economic development zones, and feasibility for housing—have made it difficult to find qualifying sites. Moore’s recent executive order aims to streamline this process, but housing experts and local officials caution that meaningful results will take time.
Maryland is currently facing a housing shortage of at least 96,000 units, with projections showing a need for nearly 600,000 more by 2045. Unlocking surplus land is just one part of the solution. The state must also address zoning barriers, permitting delays, and affordability mandates to make a real impact.
Read more about Maryland’s surplus land struggles and the efforts to fix them in this Maryland Matters article: Moore calls for state to turn over surplus land for housing – an elusive goal so far – Maryland Matters.