On February 17, MACo President MC Keegan-Ayer and Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified SB 267 – Land Use – Residential Housing – Oversight, Regulation, and Taxation (Building Affordably in My Back Yard Act).
The Building Affordably in My Back Yard (BAMBY) Act. This comprehensive, locally grounded package advances a balanced housing strategy: empower counties to speed housing production, deploy practical market tools, align state actions with local realities, and pair growth with sensible renter protections. Together, these four pillars will help Maryland deliver more homes—faster, at lower cost—while protecting communities, infrastructure capacity, and household stability.
In his oral testimony, Mr. Sanderson pointed out “many of the elements in this bill are local options, but ones where we need your help.”
At its core, the BAMBY Act recognizes that solving Maryland’s housing shortage requires shared responsibility and coordinated action. Counties are prepared to do their part —streamlining approvals, deploying targeted incentives, and advancing smart growth —but durable progress depends on aligning state policy, infrastructure investment, and market realities. While no single proposal can fully resolve today’s affordability challenges, BAMBY represents one of the most comprehensive and actionable frameworks put forward this Session. With the right partnerships in place, Maryland can produce more housing—faster, more affordably, and in ways communities can sustain for the long term.
Maryland’s housing shortage is constraining economic opportunity, driving
up costs for families, and putting pressure on employers and public services. Counties are on the front lines of this challenge: approving projects, delivering the public services, and developing major infrastructure (schools, roads, water/wastewater). BAMBY recognizes this complex reality and offers a pragmatic path forward to increasing affordable housing in Maryland.
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