​​​Addressing the critical shortage of housing that is affordable at all income levels to purchase, rent and maintain.

Housing availability is an issue shared by communities across Maryland. Attendees at listening sessions throughout the state expressed concern that residents at all income levels could not afford housing in their community. This list includes seniors, young families, teachers, firefighters and others. DHCD is the primary agency responsible for encouraging and incentivizing affordable and workforce housing in Maryland, with programs dedicated to multifamily rental financing, home ownership, home repairs, energy efficiency and foreclosure prevention.

The assurance of affordable and workforce housing will take a unified effort both horizontally (state agencies) and vertically (state, regional, local). A Better Maryland develops the tools, data and resources for jurisdictions and nonprofit organizations to identify their community’s housing deficiencies and craft creative and long-lasting strategies to address them. Often, well-meaning state and local policies and regulations negatively impact housing affordability, raising development costs and shifting that burden onto the homeowner or renter. This plan proposes a thorough, honest and fact-based conversation about housing affordability in Maryland.