ANNAPOLIS, MD—Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order Wednesday to accelerate housing production and improve affordability across Maryland, aiming to tackle a statewide housing shortage of 96,000 units.
The order, titled “Housing Starts Here,” seeks to streamline the development process and increase the supply of available homes. It follows a 2024 legislative package from the Moore-Miller Administration focused on removing barriers to housing construction and strengthening state financing for development.
“When we talk about housing that’s more affordable, we’re not just talking about building shelter; we’re talking about building a legacy,” Moore said in a press release. “That’s why we need to move faster to build new homes, move faster to make housing more affordable, and move faster to create a housing market that is more competitive.”
The executive order includes several key provisions:
- It directs state agencies to identify state-owned properties near transit hubs for new housing development.
- It aims to reduce state permitting timelines to bring new homes to market faster and increase the transparency of the process.
- It creates a new state housing ombudsman to serve as a liaison between state agencies, local governments, and developers to prevent project delays.
- It directs the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to establish housing production targets for the state, each county, and each municipality, to be published in January 2026 and updated every five years.
- It establishes annual Maryland Housing Leadership Awards to recognize jurisdictions that meet their housing goals, offering them bonus points for state funding applications.
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day said that increasing housing supply is the key to a more affordable Maryland.
“Governor Moore’s executive order will spur housing growth and means more people can live, work and raise their families in our great towns and cities,” Day said.
The governor’s office also noted that the executive order comes less than two months after Moore announced $50 million in grant awards to support vacant property reduction efforts in Baltimore City.
Photo via the Maryland Governor’s Office
