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Why Maryland Can’t Build Enough Housing
Maryland is in the middle of a full‑blown housing crisis — and the consequences are showing up everywhere. For 12 straight years, more Marylanders have left the state than moved in, and the trend is accelerating. As Comptroller Brooke Lierman explains, it’s not just retirees heading south. Younger residents and middle‑income families are leaving too, taking billions in economic activity with them. “I was particularly disconcerted to see how many younger Marylanders are moving away,” she says.
At the center of the problem: Maryland simply hasn’t built enough homes. The state is short roughly 100,000 units today, and needs 590,000 new homes by 2045 to meet projected demand. But for decades, a patchwork of zoning rules, local veto points, and well‑intentioned but restrictive smart‑growth policies have made it harder — not easier — to build where people actually want to live. As Housing Secretary Jake Day puts it, “We’ve done a fantastic job telling people where they can’t build… we never finished the equation.”
In this episode, hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin unpack how Maryland got here, why the state’s “culture of permission” makes development so difficult, and what lawmakers are proposing this session to finally break the logjam. They explore the political dynamics that allow a handful of neighbors to stall desperately needed housing, the unintended consequences of Maryland’s smart‑growth legacy, and why even high‑performing school districts use tools like adequate public facilities ordinances to keep new families out.
Featuring voices from across the housing landscape — developers, preservationists, county leaders, and state officials — this episode offers a clear, grounded look at one of Maryland’s most urgent challenges, and what it will take to build a more affordable future.
In This Episode
- Why Maryland has lost residents to other states for 12 consecutive years
- How a shortage of 100,000 homes is driving up prices and pushing families out
- Why Maryland permits far fewer homes than fast‑growing states like the Carolinas, Texas, and Florida
- How single‑family zoning and decades of layered regulations restrict what can be built — and where
- The unintended consequences of Maryland’s smart‑growth movement
- Why local “permission structures” allow neighbors to block needed housing
- How late vesting rules let opponents kill projects even after approvals
- Why developers say community engagement is essential — but can go too far
- What the Moore administration is proposing this session to accelerate homebuilding
- Why adequate public facilities ordinances often halt development in high‑demand school zones
Key Voices
- Brooke Lierman — Maryland Comptroller
- Jake Day — Maryland Secretary of Housing
- Tom Coale — Land Use Attorney & Housing Advocate
- Chris Mfume — Founder, The Civic Group
- Nick Redding — President & CEO, Preservation Maryland
- Michael Sanderson — Executive Director, Maryland Association of Counties
Why This Episode Matters
Housing shapes everything — affordability, economic mobility, school enrollment, transportation, and the long‑term competitiveness of the state. Maryland’s shortage is already driving residents away, straining local budgets, and limiting opportunities for families across income levels. Understanding how we got here — and why it’s so hard to fix — is essential to understanding the debates unfolding in Annapolis this session.
Whether you’re a renter, a homeowner, a policymaker, or someone trying to understand why housing costs keep rising, this episode offers clarity, context, and a rare inside look at the forces shaping Maryland’s housing future.
Connect With the Show
Questions, comments, or story ideas: [email protected]
Links & Resources
Maryland Now is brought to you by Blended Public Affairs and produced by Carper Cre8tive.
Blended Public Affairs: https://www.blendedpublicaffairs.com
Carper Cre8tive: https://www.carpercreative.studio
- (00:00) - Welcome to Maryland Now + Why Housing Is a Full-Blown Crisis
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By Blended Public AffairsMaryland is in the middle of a full‑blown housing crisis — and the consequences are showing up everywhere. For 12 straight years, more Marylanders have left the state than moved in, and the trend is accelerating. As Comptroller Brooke Lierman explains, it’s not just retirees heading south. Younger residents and middle‑income families are leaving too, taking billions in economic activity with them. “I was particularly disconcerted to see how many younger Marylanders are moving away,” she says.
At the center of the problem: Maryland simply hasn’t built enough homes. The state is short roughly 100,000 units today, and needs 590,000 new homes by 2045 to meet projected demand. But for decades, a patchwork of zoning rules, local veto points, and well‑intentioned but restrictive smart‑growth policies have made it harder — not easier — to build where people actually want to live. As Housing Secretary Jake Day puts it, “We’ve done a fantastic job telling people where they can’t build… we never finished the equation.”
In this episode, hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin unpack how Maryland got here, why the state’s “culture of permission” makes development so difficult, and what lawmakers are proposing this session to finally break the logjam. They explore the political dynamics that allow a handful of neighbors to stall desperately needed housing, the unintended consequences of Maryland’s smart‑growth legacy, and why even high‑performing school districts use tools like adequate public facilities ordinances to keep new families out.
Featuring voices from across the housing landscape — developers, preservationists, county leaders, and state officials — this episode offers a clear, grounded look at one of Maryland’s most urgent challenges, and what it will take to build a more affordable future.
In This Episode
- Why Maryland has lost residents to other states for 12 consecutive years
- How a shortage of 100,000 homes is driving up prices and pushing families out
- Why Maryland permits far fewer homes than fast‑growing states like the Carolinas, Texas, and Florida
- How single‑family zoning and decades of layered regulations restrict what can be built — and where
- The unintended consequences of Maryland’s smart‑growth movement
- Why local “permission structures” allow neighbors to block needed housing
- How late vesting rules let opponents kill projects even after approvals
- Why developers say community engagement is essential — but can go too far
- What the Moore administration is proposing this session to accelerate homebuilding
- Why adequate public facilities ordinances often halt development in high‑demand school zones
Key Voices
- Brooke Lierman — Maryland Comptroller
- Jake Day — Maryland Secretary of Housing
- Tom Coale — Land Use Attorney & Housing Advocate
- Chris Mfume — Founder, The Civic Group
- Nick Redding — President & CEO, Preservation Maryland
- Michael Sanderson — Executive Director, Maryland Association of Counties
Why This Episode Matters
Housing shapes everything — affordability, economic mobility, school enrollment, transportation, and the long‑term competitiveness of the state. Maryland’s shortage is already driving residents away, straining local budgets, and limiting opportunities for families across income levels. Understanding how we got here — and why it’s so hard to fix — is essential to understanding the debates unfolding in Annapolis this session.
Whether you’re a renter, a homeowner, a policymaker, or someone trying to understand why housing costs keep rising, this episode offers clarity, context, and a rare inside look at the forces shaping Maryland’s housing future.
Connect With the Show
Questions, comments, or story ideas: [email protected]
Links & Resources
Maryland Now is brought to you by Blended Public Affairs and produced by Carper Cre8tive.
Blended Public Affairs: https://www.blendedpublicaffairs.com
Carper Cre8tive: https://www.carpercreative.studio
- (00:00) - Welcome to Maryland Now + Why Housing Is a Full-Blown Crisis