Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As I meet with voters across District 16, one issue comes up again and again: the urgent need for more affordable and accessible housing. But while there is a consensus regarding the need, there’s little consensus on solutions.
This legislative session, one of the three bills included in Governor Moore’s comprehensive housing package, has sparked strong reactions in District 16. Many of your neighbors are telling me how alarmed they are about potential neighborhood impacts of the Silver and Starter Home Act. Public input is an important part of the legislative process, and there is still an opportunity to make your voice heard by testifying at the bill hearing.
Below is a brief overview of all three bills:
The Maryland Housing Certainty Act (HB 548): This bill would require housing development projects to be reviewed under the zoning and regulatory rules in effect at the time a completed application is submitted, allowing approved projects to proceed under those rules for a set period even if regulations later change. It would also prohibit the collection of certain development excise taxes and development impact fees until the project is completed.
- House hearing is on February 19th in the Economic Matters Committee.
- Watch the Senate hearing HERE.
Potential Impact in D16: This bill could encourage more housing by reducing delays and upfront costs while still ensuring impact fees are collected to support schools, transportation, and infrastructure. It could be a practical way to accelerate housing production responsibly.
The Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act (HB 894): This bill is designed to encourage more housing and redevelopment near transit stations. It would automatically designate certain transit-oriented developments as enterprise zones, give priority loans to redevelopment projects, limit how much local governments can restrict development near certain transit stations, and delay the collection of some development taxes and fees for housing projects. It would also give preference to projects that use project labor agreements when awarding certain state transit development funds.
- House hearing is on February 26th in the Economic Matters Committee.
- Watch the Senate hearing HERE.
Potential Impact in D16: Montgomery County has already prioritized transit-oriented development around fixed rail transit stations, so this bill's impact on Montgomery County is fairly limited. However, its effects could be more significant in other parts of the state where such planning has not yet occurred.
The Silver and Starter Homes Act (HB 239): This bill would stop local governments from enforcing certain zoning rules about lot size, building height and placement, how much of a lot can be covered by a house, and some design requirements for certain single-family homes. It would also prevent local governments from banning certain types of housing in specific areas or from blocking certain property subdivisions. For example, townhouses and similar homes could be allowed in areas currently restricted to single-family housing, and property owners could subdivide a lot with an existing home into as many as three smaller lots, even if local rules previously prohibited it.
- Watch the House hearing HERE.
- Watch the Senate hearing HERE.
Potential Impact in D16: In its current form, this bill seems to be an overreach, applying a one-size-fits-all approach. Several amendments have already been proposed to address concerns from residents and local governments regarding this bill.
Many of my concerns are reflected in a letter from local municipalities, which outlines changes that could make the bill more practical and responsive to our community’s needs.
You can read the letter from local municipalities here.
I will continue to closely monitor all three bills as they move through the General Assembly and keep you updated.
If you have thoughts or questions on this or other issues, you can reach me at tazeen@tazeenformaryland.com. Thank you for staying informed and engaged.
We have several upcoming opportunities for us to talk in-person and for you to meet my team. Please join us for one of our upcoming meet and greets, fundraisers, postcard writing parties or sign up to volunteer with the campaign.
Finally, we can’t do this without you. Please consider making a financial contribution HERE.
With heart and purpose,
Tazeen Ahmad
Candidate for Delegate
MD District 16
tazeen@tazeenformaryland.com
Leading with Heart, Delivering with Purpose
