Surplus Land: Maryland’s Long-Term Housing Challenge
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 […]
There Can Be Only One: Rent Control or New Housing
There is ample evidence from cities around the country that enacting rent control reduces both overall construction and the number of available rental units by as much as 15%. Unfortunately for Maryland, we no longer have to look to other states for those negative impacts – we have them right here in Montgomery County. A […]
“Housing for Jobs” Meets Local Resistance
Governor Wes Moore’s ambitious housing legislation—originally titled the “Housing for Jobs Act”—was meant to be a transformative step toward solving Maryland’s housing shortage. But after intense pushback from local governments, the bill was stripped of its core provisions in the House and rebranded as the “Housing Development Act.” What remains is a watered-down version that […]
A Legacy of Housing
Though they may not admit it, most elected officials have thought about their legacy. What impact will they make? How will they be remembered? What were their key accomplishments? While we are only at the midway point of Governor Moore’s administration, addressing Maryland’s housing crisis is shaping up to be a key theme of his […]