With the 2025 Legislative Session approaching, MACo is profiling major issues, including affordable housing, that stand to gather significant attention.
The 2024 legislative session earned the title “Session of Housing,” as the General Assembly tackled an unprecedented wave of pro-growth legislation. At the forefront was the Governor’s housing package, which introduced transformative measures like state density bonuses and other sweeping reforms. MACo also played a pivotal role, championing a historic slate of housing initiatives, including efforts to address vacancies, regulate short-term rentals, and equip counties with tools to meet local housing demands. Looking ahead, the 2025 session promises another surge of housing legislation, with the Governor expected to unveil a new and ambitious housing package in the coming weeks.
The 2025 Issue Papers primarily highlight existing state programs and data that underscore the growing impact of rising housing costs on constituents. Although not explicitly addressed in the papers, significant attention is expected to center on proposed legislation aimed at preempting local land use authority and introducing new reporting requirements as state policymakers seek enhanced data. Beyond the initiatives from the Governor’s Office, several pro-development organizations are also anticipated to advance priority legislation.
Highlighted in the 2025 Issue Papers:
In recent years, Maryland has established two State-funded rental assistance programs that provide emergency rental assistance to eligible households with students in community schools and provide longer-term rental vouchers to renters on the waitlist for the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program. Both programs received funding for the first time in fiscal 2025. The State voucher program limits participants to five years of rental assistance or until a federal voucher becomes available. However, several jurisdictions in Maryland have reported average waitlist times for federal vouchers in excess of five years.
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Good cause eviction laws limit the grounds on which a landlord can fail to renew a lease or evict a tenant. Legislation authorizing the enactment of local good cause eviction laws has been introduced in prior years and remains a likely topic for consideration by the General Assembly in the future.
