CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. — Governor Wes Moore announced three legislative priorities aimed at housing growth and affordability in Maryland.
The first bill, the Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act, would aim to address issues that make it hard to create jobs and housing near existing transit.
"The legislation would eliminate minimum parking requirements for certain transit-oriented developments, promote mixed-use development around key stations, and give the state more authority over the development of land adjacent to transit stations," a press release states.
The bill would also allow the government to use 300 acres of currently state-owned land near rail stations for development.
"We are breaking down barriers in deploying MDOT's state-owned land to provide economic mobility for families across our state," said Acting Secretary of Transportation Samantha Biddle.
The second bill, the Starter and Silver Homes Act of 2026, aims to increase the availability of smaller and more affordable homes across the state.
"Finding an affordable place to live is one of the greatest barriers Marylanders face to being successful and choosing to stay in Maryland," said Moore.
The legislation will be sponsored by the Department of Housing and Community Development and would allow smaller homes on smaller lots as well as townhomes across the state.
The third bill the Governor discussed on Tuesday was the Housing Certainty Act of 2026, which will be sponsored by Senator Malcolm Augustine and Delegate Dylan Behler.
The bill would address the regulatory uncertainty that currently stands in the state, where developers are required to continue to address new regulations as they are in the process of building
The legislation, by contrast, would require that developers only comply with the regulations that were in place at the time the application for the development was submitted.
