Dive Brief:
- With more than 18% of its households deemed “cost-burdened,” Frederick County, Maryland, needs to build 31,853 new housing units — at least 10,000 of them affordable — by 2035 to meet demand, according to a housing needs assessment and affordable housing strategic plan the county published last month.
- The 200-plus-page report from national consulting firm TPMA in conjunction with the City of Frederick lays out a “more active and strategic approach" to addressing the housing shortage, including by relaxing zoning restrictions, boosting partnerships and funding, leveraging county-owned land and increasing the number of county staff members dedicated to housing.
- “What’s clear is that while passive policy — creating incentives for developers to build affordable housing here, providing low-interest loans for developing housing, etc. — are a key part of our toolkit, it cannot be the only tool at our disposal,” County Executive Jessica Fitzwater wrote in introducing the report. “The Plan challenges us to employ active policy and resources where we in Frederick County Government are addressing this challenge head-on.”
Dive Insight:
Municipal leaders around the country are looking for ways to address persistent national housing shortages. More localities are changing zoning laws that are blamed for adding barriers to affordable housing options.
As Frederick County mulls loosening its zoning laws, it also might tighten some other regulations to increase affordable housing creation. Maryland’s Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit program, established in 1973, allows local governments to require developers to set aside a certain percentage of new units for affordable housing. Frederick County allows developers to pay a fee to bypass the requirement, with the fees supporting its Housing Initiative Fund. However, the report found that as a result of the opt-out option, no moderately-priced units have been produced in the county since 2011. The report recommends changing the county’s approach by requiring “at least some unit production” while maintaining some flexibility.
The plan detailed other approaches the county might use to increase its affordable housing supply as well. The county will look at opportunities for faith-based communities to develop affordable housing and how it might reduce barriers to building accessory dwelling units — sometimes called coach houses or granny flats — in the county.
“Good policy starts with good data,” City of Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor said in a statement, adding that the city plans to use the findings to “guide land use, infrastructure, and housing decisions as we work to expand supply and address affordability moving forward.”
