The Coalition’s goal is to achieve community understanding, policy making and regulatory decisions that will lead to an increase in and equitable access to Howard County affordable housing.
Recent State Legislation
Recent Howard County Legislation
HB315 – Discrimination in Housing – Income-Based Housing Subsidies – PASSED!
This bill closes a critical loophole in the HOME Act of 2020 by prohibiting the use of pre-voucher credit history and income requirements that do not reflect a tenant’s current, guaranteed ability to pay rent. This new law will take effect October 1, 2026.
HB1137 – Bring Back Main Street – PASSED!
This bill directs the State of Maryland to study how housing can be legalized in commercial districts and develop recommendations for future legislation to make it easier to create homes in underused retail and mixed-use areas. By exploring ways to bring housing back to main streets, the bill lays the groundwork for more walkable, vibrant communities with expanded housing options.
HB0894 – Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act – PASSED!
This legislation removes parking minimum requirements for new housing near transit stations and gives the Maryland Department of Transportation greater flexibility to use state-owned land around transit for housing development. The law is expected to make possible more than 7,000 new homes near rail stations, expanding housing choices in transit-accessible locations.
HB0548 / SB0325 – Maryland Housing Certainty Act – PASSED!
The Maryland Housing Certainty Act streamlines the permitting process for new residential development by creating clearer timelines and reducing unnecessary delays in local review. By making housing approvals more predictable, the law is designed to accelerate the creation of new homes across Maryland and help address the state’s housing shortage.
HB 548 – Development Rights – PASSED
The bill locks in a local jurisdiction’s land use rules at the time a project submits a substantially complete application. This stops a county or city from changing the rules and adding new requirements after a project has been proposed.
SB 389 – Transit Oriented Development – PASSED
The bill proposes several changes in areas that are within a certain distance of rail, but excludes certain zones, including single family. The Jessup MARC station will be impacted by the bill and there could be future impacts at the Savage and Laurel stations. The bill limits off-street parking requirements, setbacks, and other design issues in such areas. It also requires that impact fees, which can be substantial, are due only when projects are placed in service.
CR40-2026
In late February, the County Executive submitted to the Council CR40-2026. The bill would move ahead with a County Charter amendment to allow the County to sell bonds that would fund privately-owned affordable housing. Currently, under the Charter, the County is not permitted to use bonds for such purposes. The proposal is a means to provide a large, one-time contribution to the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund. By selling bonds, the County could raise $25 million or more in one year, and pay this off over 20 years, just as it funds other infrastructure projects.
Unfortunately, the Council did not agree with the use of County bond funds to seed the Housing Opportunities Fund. Rather than voting the resolution down altogether, the Council amended the action to allow for County bonds to be issued only for Howard County Housing Commission-sponsored homeownership projects. While this funding is welcome, it will only be rarely used and will not have a sizable impact on the lack of affordable housing in the County.