Blog: Gov. Moore’s 2026 Housing Growth and Affordability Agenda
by Brandi Panbach, Steering Committee Member & Newsletter Chair
The Maryland Assembly is back in session through April for the 2026 legislative session. Among other issues, legislators will address what some are calling “Moore Housing 3: Abundance Drift” as the Moore-Miller administration makes housing a central part of its legislative priorities for the third year in a row.
The governor’s housing agenda this year consists of three bills:
The Starter and Silver Homes Act (HB 239 / SB 36)
The Starter and Silver Homes Act aims to increase housing supply suitable for first-time (starter home) and older-adult (silver home) buyers. Echoing similar initiatives passed in other states, the bill focuses on legalizing smaller minimum lot sizes.
The bill prohibits local governments from setting minimum lot sizes larger than 5,000 square feet in areas connected to public water and sewer systems. The bill also prohibits local governments from setting minimum square footage requirements for single-family detached homes, imposing lot coverage maximums, and imposing front and rear setbacks over a certain amount. It would also allow townhomes by-right in residential areas where existing zoning allows single-family detached homes.
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has offered friendly amendments to specify that these provisions will apply only to lots that are located in Tier 1, 2, and 3 Priority Funding Areas (PFAs)—helping to prevent sprawl and target these changes to areas connected to infrastructure and amenities.
Overall, this bill would enable more homes to be built on less land.
The Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act (HB 894 / SB 389)
The Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act aims to remove barriers to developing more housing near rail stations. This bill would eliminate parking minimums for mixed-use or residential developments ¼ mile from frequent rail service, and require mixed-use and residential projects as a permitted use ½ mile from frequent rail service. It would reduce barriers to developing state-owned land adjacent to rail stations with frequent service. It would also make transit-oriented development projects eligible for certain state loans and tax incentives, and delay the collection of certain taxes and fees.
Overall, this would reduce the costs of building homes near transit and increase supply.
The Housing Certainty Act (SB 325 / HB0548)
This bill aims to reduce regulatory unpredictability for housing developers, incentivizing more multifamily and workforce housing to actually get built. It makes the application of rules more consistent and predictable across localities by preventing the changing of development rules after a project has been submitted. The bill would also require defined timelines and policies for approvals. Lastly, it would require that impact fees/taxes get collected after (rather than before) construction is complete.
Greater Greater Washington is organizing a March 4th trek to the state house to advocate for these bills. Learn more about the event here, and sign up to join fellow housing activists to lobby for these bills and meet with your state legislators.
Photo credit: BeyondDC
