Housing affordability remains the top concern for Maryland voters — with nearly two-thirds of those surveyed saying it’s a “major” problem — according to polling from a pro-housing policy group.

Concerns about housing prices crossed socioeconomic lines: Overwhelming majorities of those earning less than $100,000 said it’s a “major” concern, as did a slim majority of those earning more than $100,000.

The survey of 807 Maryland registered voters was conducted online from Jan. 7 to Jan. 16 and had a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points. Greater Greater Washington, a progressive research and advocacy group, commissioned the poll from YouGov Blue, which conducts surveys for Democratic-leaning organizations.

The findings present a clear picture into voters’ headspace as the 2026 midterm elections draw nearer. They also may provide some leverage for Gov. Wes Moore and others lobbying to change housing policies during this year’s 90-day legislative session.

“A majority of Marylanders want more housing, and they want it to be done in a way that brings costs down, expands access and delivers more options,” Maryland housing Secretary Jake Day said in a statement.

Marylanders’ anxiety over home and rent costs has grown considerably over the last few years. High mortgage interest rates, slow growth and various regulations and policies have all contributed to soaring real estate prices since 2023, according to real estate insiders and academic researchers.

The surging price of mortgages has created a wide gulf between recent and longer-term homeowners, newly released U.S. Census Bureau data shows. An October report from Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman indicated that a larger share of young adults are leaving the state in search of more affordable housing.

Moore has endorsed three housing bills this year. The Starter and Silver Homes Act would allow homes to be approved for smaller-than-typical lots. Other bills would encourage homebuilding near train stations and give developers “early vesting” rights that lock in a projects’ ground rules for five years, which real estate professionals say makes the process simpler and faster.

The poll found decisive majorities of voters across all age groups identified housing costs as a “major” problem, as did respondents of different races, education levels, employment and marital statuses.

A majority of both Democrats and Republicans who responded to the poll also identified housing as a serious concern in their lives, ahead of other priorities including taxes, crime and immigration. So did residents in some of the state’s largest jurisdictions, including Montgomery, Prince George’s and Baltimore counties, as well as Baltimore City.

A majority of poll respondents believed that more housing was needed in cities, suburbs and rural areas, and half of those polled wanted more homes to be built in their own communities. There was less consensus about who was responsible for the high costs: The largest share of respondents, or 25%, cited “developer greed” as the top reason, followed by high demand for housing (20%), and private equity controlling more of the supply (19%).

When it came to solutions, a majority of respondents favored more homebuilding near transit hubs, shopping and businesses. And a majority favored building smaller homes or making it easier for property owners to subdivide lots.

Most respondents also favored charging higher tax rates for vacant lots to discourage inactivity; giving developers “quick and clear” processes to get permits; granting parking space decision-making powers to local property owners instead of governments; and requiring local leaders to create housing production targets.

Slightly fewer than half of those polled, about 47%, said they would be less likely to vote for local lawmakers who did not support policies that would allow for smaller and more affordable homes to be built.

The January survey found high levels of approval among voters for renter-focused regulations, too, including measures that would require landlords to provide a reason for not renewing a tenant’s lease; a statewide cap on how much housing providers can raise the rent each year; and eliminating pet breed and weight restrictions in rental housing.

At a briefing last week in Annapolis, housing providers, lobbyists and advocates pitched state lawmakers on how to ease the burdens on constituents.

Rent control and stabilization measures in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties have driven investment away from the state, said Brian Anleu, vice president for government affairs at the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Maryland division. Other laws requiring new homes to meet certain energy efficiency standards and making it harder to evict tenants have also “strained” business operations, he said.

State lawmakers, including Del. Marlon Amprey, said they were open to “tweaking” any policies that were stymying housing production.

“We have the ability to strike a balance,” Amprey, a Baltimore Democrat, said. “There has to be a balance between all this and finding a way to get more supply online — but also making sure that those who are currently living here are not getting taken advantage of."