Affordable Housing Means Building Where it Makes Sense
Affordable housing policy should start with a simple idea: build where it makes sense. That means focusing growth in existing communities, near job centers, transit, town centers and services. Pushing development farther out into rural land only overburdens roads, utility infrastructure and schools. Housing policy and planning frameworks commonly tie affordability goals to transit access, infrastructure readiness and community amenities because housing costs are connected to transportation and quality of life.
Affordable Housing Means More Housing Choices
Maryland needs more housing choices. Not every family is looking for the same kind of home, and our housing market should reflect that. Accessory dwelling units, duplexes, townhomes and small multifamily homes can give young families, seniors, teachers, nurses, and first responders more realistic options in the communities they already call home. Maryland and national housing planning materials regularly describe these “missing middle” options as part of expanding housing access.
Affordable House Means Real Affordability
And just as important, affordable housing should mean real affordability. When the state helps finance a project, it should produce homes that working- and middle-class Marylanders can actually afford, not just more market-rate units. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) oversees many of Maryland’s housing and community development programs, including programs that support affordable multifamily housing, preservation, and housing trust funding. Maryland’s affordable housing programs and trust funding are already designed around affordability, project readiness, preservation, and service to low- and moderate-income households, which gives lawmakers real leverage to set stronger expectations across the board.
My Plan
- Focus new housing in existing communities near transit, jobs and town centers — where infrastructure already exists and families can lower both housing and transportation costs.
- Respect our Urban-Rural Demarcation Line (URDL) and oppose expanding major development beyond it. Growth should come through infill, redevelopment, and appropriately scaled housing inside the URDL — not through more sprawl into farms and open space.
- Support more middle-housing options in appropriate established communities.
- Fast-track affordable and mixed-income projects that are ready to build, while requiring coordination with roads, schools, water, sewer, and transit capacity.
- Preserve existing affordable housing and support rehabilitation, because keeping a home affordable is often faster and cheaper than replacing it.
- Require accountability for state-supported housing so public investment produces lasting affordability for working families, seniors and lower-income Marylanders.
- Support renter stability and targeted homeowner relief so longtime residents are not pushed out as costs rise. Maryland’s housing challenge includes both affordability and displacement pressure, especially for lower-income households.
Why It Matters
For our communities, affordable housing is not just about construction. It is about whether a young teacher can afford to live near the school where they work, whether seniors can downsize without leaving the area, and whether families can stay in the communities they have helped build.
Maryland needs more housing, but it also needs better growth. That means respecting local character, protecting rural land, strengthening established communities, and making sure affordability is real.