Baltimore’s Planning Department will host a virtual information session Tuesday evening to discuss a package of zoning and parking reforms that could reshape housing development across the city.

The “Housing Opportunities and Options Act,” backed by Mayor Brandon Scott and several members of the City Council, would create a new category for low-density multi-family housing.

That includes allowing duplexes and fourplexes in areas currently zoned only for single-family homes. Other proposals include reducing yard requirements, loosening staircase rules and easing off-street parking mandates.

Supporters say the legislation is an overdue move to expand housing access and make the city more affordable for renters.

A report released Monday by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that Maryland workers must earn nearly $40 an hour to afford a typical two-bedroom rental.

In Baltimore City, a full-time worker would need to earn $37.79, or $78,600 annually, to afford similar housing.

Proponents also argue that the bills would benefit first-time homebuyers and older residents looking to downsize.

Councilman Ryan Dorsey, who chairs the Land Use and Transportation Committee, supports the bills. During a June appearance on WYPR’s Midday, Dorsey said the legislation would “increase population by 5,000 units every year.”

But former Baltimore City Councilman Joseph “Jody” Landers, who also appeared on Midday, disagreed.

Landers, the former executive vice president of the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors, warned that the bills could alter the character of single-family neighborhoods and drive up home prices.

Instead of changing zoning codes, he argued the city should focus on incentivizing developers to renovate the thousands of vacant houses that already exist.

The virtual information session will begin at 5 p.m. and run until 6:30 p.m.

This article will be updated.