Baltimore City recently launched an auto-issue feature for simple permits, requiring no staff technical review or plan examination.  Late last month, the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), in coordination with the Baltimore City Information & Technology (BCIT) department, launched a new Auto-Issue feature within the City’s online permitting platform, Accela. This upgrade represents a significant milestone in the City’s continued efforts to stabilize and improve the permitting experience for residents, contractors, and businesses throughout…

Hernando County, Florida, is piloting artificial intelligence in zoning and permitting approvals. Early results show a significant increase in efficiencies.  Hernando County, Florida, is testing artificial intelligence to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its local permitting processing. Using an AI platform called SwiftGov (from SwiftBuild.ai), the county has automated parts of its zoning and building review for single-family homes and subdivisions. The system cross-checks submitted plans against local zoning codes, identifies missing information, and…

In the last week, two big things happened in housing: the Comptroller released their housing report, and DHCD held its first webinar on county targets.  Comptroller's Housing Report Late last week, the Comptroller's office released its latest addition to its State of the Economy Series: Housing and the Economy. The report provides an analysis of Maryland’s housing market, including trends in housing costs, supply and demand dynamics, and patterns of domestic migration—highlighting where Maryland residents…

The US Senate recently passed the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, the first bipartisan housing legislation to move in over a decade.  The U.S. Senate has advanced the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 (Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act). The bill directs the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to work hand-in-hand with housing experts and local governments to identify strategies that boost housing production nationwide. It…

On October 22nd, DHCD will be hosting a virtual public meeting to seek public comment on county housing targets.  The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is preparing statewide housing production targets in accordance with Governor Moore’s Housing Starts Here Executive Order. The Department will hold a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, October 22 at 12:00 pm to gather public input and feedback on the development of the housing production targets. Wednesday, October 22, 2025,…

A prolonged federal shutdown may have an adverse cascading effect on the housing market as agency operations and programs are paused.  While the federal shutdown has yet to cause major disruptions in the housing sector, a prolonged impasse could have significant consequences — particularly for programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). More than 70% of HUD’s workforce has been furloughed, sharply limiting the agency’s capacity to process new applications…