Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday announced he would quarterback another effort to mitigate high housing costs in Maryland during the 90-day legislative session that begins next week.

Moore is endorsing three bills meant to spur construction and increase housing in ways both big and small. They’re also a chance for Moore to notch wins on an issue he has prioritized before voters decide this year whether to give him a second term.

The bills would:

• Encourage mixed-use development projects on state-owned land at train stations, by offering tax credits and loans and eliminating requirements to include a minimum number of parking spots
• Allow homes to be approved on smaller lot sizes in residential areas to encourage more types of homes to be built
• Give Maryland developers “early vesting,” which would lock in a project’s ground rules for five years, even before significant work has begun

The governor unveiled his housing agenda flanked by supporters at a housing development underway in Capitol Heights. On Tuesday, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority unveiled Atlantic Pacific Cos. as the developer for more than 300 housing units expected to be built upon the Capitol Heights Metro’s surface parking lot.

Moore described the agenda as some of “the most aggressive housing policies this state has seen in a generation” and pointed to Capitol Heights as an example of his administration kicking housing development into higher gear.

There’s plenty of evidence that Marylanders are concerned about the cost and availability of housing.

Last year, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman’s office published a report that showed an exodus of residents out of the state for more affordable communities.

In Montgomery County, a Banner poll found overwhelming support for addressing high home costs; residents identified it as their top priority. Respondents endorsed building more housing near transit lines, but were less enthusiastic about changing the zoning in their neighborhoods to add taller, denser buildings or tapping the county’s reserve of agricultural land.

Other polls have found similar worries about housing and a belief that government should do more to make housing more affordable.

But while concern about housing costs is widespread, Marylanders of all backgrounds and political views have opposed development in their own neighborhoods.

The bills on Moore’s 2026 agenda would direct more homes — as many as 7,000, according to the governor’s office — to be built near major transportation hubs, largely in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas.

The so-called Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act, sponsored by the governor, would build off an executive order from September. It gives the state more authority to incentivize development on its land within a half-mile of train stations — even if local zoning may preclude it. The bill provides tax credits and loans to assist with financing.

Another proposal leans into smaller housing, such as “granny flats” or accessory dwelling units, to allay concerns about density and multifamily construction. The Starter and Silver Homes Act of 2026, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, caters to young people and older adults looking for homes that better suit their needs. It would also promote construction of townhomes, which are generally more affordable than detached houses.

The governor’s most audacious swing, the Housing Certainty Act of 2026, is sponsored by state Sen. Malcolm Augustine of Prince George’s County and state Del. Dylan Behler of Anne Arundel County, both Democrats. A similar proposal, which sought to lock in a project’s development rights for five years, sank the governor’s housing bill last year.

At the time, the influential Maryland Association of Counties, which lobbies on behalf of local governments, said the vesting measure took too much authority away from its members.

“This change represents an intrusion into local land use matters and disposes of decades of commonsense public policy,” said MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson in an April 3 blog post. He said late vesting ensures developers meet communities’ needs as they change.

The governor has embraced housing policy even as its politics remain murky.

Moore successfully championed a legislation package during the 2024 session that sought to provide more leeway for housing projects, including near transit stations, and empower renters. Last session, the governor supported a bill that would have reduced local governments’ veto power over some developments, but a scaled-back version failed in the final hours.

According to state officials, Maryland is short as many as 96,000 homes — though some estimates say the deficit is as high as 150,000 — and the Baltimore area accounts for as many as 33,000 of the missing units.

Last year, transportation officials estimated that state-owned land surrounding train stations across Maryland could host up to 18,000 new housing units and reduce road congestion. Baltimore-area Metro and Light Rail stations, as well as select MARC Penn Line stops, accounted for roughly one-third of the estimate.

The state has slowly gotten such plans rolling, starting at stations that already have local buy-in like the Odenton MARC station and the Reisterstown Plaza Metro station.

Moore’s new proposal would apply to all current and future train stations that have service every day. Beyond Metro, MARC Penn Line and Light Rail stops, the law could help turn future Purple Line stops in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties into transit-oriented hubs with housing, parks and other amenities.

It could eventually apply to all MARC train stops — not just those along the Penn Line — if the state were to begin weekend service along the Camden and Brunswick lines.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the date the Comptroller published a report on housing costs. It has also been clarified to more accurately describe the purpose of the Starter and Silver Homes Act of 2026.