Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday introduced three housing bills that thrust his state into the trenches of the state’s battle over affordability and land use.
Set to be introduced when the new session of the General Assembly begins next week in Annapolis, the Governor’s proposals will begin building around transit, legalize tiny starter homes and stabilize development regulations.
“Finding affordable housing is one of the biggest hurdles Marylanders face in choosing to live in Maryland,” Moore said in a statement.
Lawmakers in both parties across the country are increasingly finding consensus on the notion that the housing shortage is causing problems of affordability for small renters and would-be first-time buyers.
Moore’s plan aligns Maryland with states like California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts and Colorado that use federal intervention to relieve local constraints and encourage construction near transportation and employment centers.
If the package passes and reasonably increases supply, it could test whether voters reward leaders who challenge local resistance in the name of affordability.
However, predictably, elected and appointed officials and activists in Maryland’s cities and counties have already signaled their opposition.
Local control concerns had a major impact on how Maryland’s 2024 housing law ultimately came to be
This year, the Maryland Association of Counties plans to launch its own housing package, labeled BAMBY – affordable building in my backyard.
BAMBY places districts between the “not in my backyard” opposition and the “yes in my backyard” movement that has gained power in California and elsewhere, underscoring how determined local officials are to preserve their zoning power.
The plan includes tax instruments, land use changes, landowner laws and state actions to improve productivity and accessibility while maintaining significant control over land.
Three credits at the center
Moore’s package turns those broad goals into three bills that each target a different chokepoint in the housing system.
The Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act of 2026 focuses on where new homes are built.
The bill would eliminate minimum parking requirements near high-quality transit, encourage mixed-use projects near major stations, and add to state mandates to develop space near entry points.
State officials say the plan could open up more than 300 acres of state-owned land near the stations, support more than 7,000 homes and bring in about $1.4 billion in new taxes.
The second bill, the Starter and Silver Homes Act of 2026, changes from area to what types of housing will be forced to permit.
It would authorize smaller single-family homes in smaller areas and allow townhouses in residential areas across the country.
Managers say these homes can cost up to 30% less than typical new construction, with the obvious focus on younger and older buyers looking to downsize.
The third measure, the Housing Certainty Act of 2026 sponsored by Sen. Malcolm Augustine and Del. Dylan Behler, we focus on how projects go from proposal to completion.
It would establish an early grant that would block residential developers’ rights at the time of permit application, preventing approved projects from recent zoning changes, new zoning regulations, or eligibility risk.
The bill also addresses regulatory delays and impact payment processes that can add costs or disrupt projects after they are originally approved.
Proponents say the changes could lower housing prices by reducing risk and timing uncertainty for builders and developers.
Housing affordability gap scale
The administration introduced these tools as a response to the acute housing shortage to address local corrections
In October 2025, the state of Maryland’s “State of the Economy Series: Housing & The Economy” report called housing costs “one of the most pressing challenges facing Maryland families.”
An analysis of the state’s annual issues in the General Assembly shows a shortage of six-figure housing units and cost burdens that now reach the middle level.
Renters are feeling the pinch. By 2023, 53% of Maryland renters are paying more than 30% of their income on housing, the largest share in the state.
Maryland currently lacks about 100,000 homes, according to a state analysis
Planners say the state needs to build about 590,000 new homes by 2045 to meet housing growth, pushing production from an average of 18,000 homes in 2014, to about 30,000 new homes a year over the next 20 years.
Between 2019 and 2025, the median home sales price increased by 39%, from 320,600 to 446,400.
Legal analysts say home ownership is out of reach even for low-income families.
Behind those numbers are the economics of construction and local laws that Moore wants to be more aggressive in reforming.
Nationally, the average cost of building a single-family home increased by 80 percent between 2017 and 2024, from $238,000 to $428,000, while Maryland laws limit the area of multifamily housing and expand permits.
Analysts believe those pressures have contributed to the loss of gas prices for about 40,000 Maryland residents a year as people move to states with more housing and lower costs.
What Maryland has done so far
Moore’s 2026 push builds on an earlier round of federal interventions approved by lawmakers two years ago. In 2024, legislators passed a sweeping housing bill aimed at creating affordable and moderate income for all Maryland communities.
The legislation focused on high density residential areas, property barriers and access to built-up housing. It increased the allowable density for certain eligible affordable projects and limited zoning restrictions that have slowed or blocked such development.
Lawmakers have expanded on where manufactured homes and modules may be placed on residential properties. Prohibits local governments from banning HUD code units in single-family districts if they meet standards and convert to real estate.
For eligible projects, authorities now must allow densities above baseline levels, often by allowing medium-sized housing types not in single-family districts. The law reduces procedural delays by eliminating public hearings and prohibiting unreasonable restrictions on government-supported affordable development.
Moore followed through with a September executive order directing federal agencies to speed up construction of homes near transportation hubs, as well as setting local manufacturing goals, and signed a separate measure that allows residential facilities on single-family properties.
The battle for territorial control is heading to Annapolis
Those earlier moves set the stage for this year’s conflict over how far the state can go to override local zoning laws.
Across the country, local governments often go to war over legislation that they see as illegally taking control of areas from city and county officials.
In Connecticut, the governor vetoed a housing bill last year after hearing from local governments. Lawmakers then returned in a special session to pass a revised midterm measure
Florida has repeatedly revised its Livelihood Act to strengthen state control over local decisions, reflecting the same tension between state vs.
Maryland’s 2026 debate is now unfolding in that national context. Moore and the county’s state leaders have already held positions in opposition
The battle may come down to choosing between Moore’s three-bill package and the state’s BAMBY plan.
Lawmakers can also combine the two approaches in a compromise, combining a national production target with a constant local rate of where and how new homes are built.
