Gov. Wes Moore is gearing up for Maryland’s 2026 legislative session with the backing of three housing and affordability bills.
At a joint development announcement on Tuesday at Metro’s Capitol Heights station in Prince George’s County, Moore endorsed legislation to curb red tape for developers, encourage smaller housing units and turn state-owned land by transit stations into developments.
The governor’s Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act of 2026 would eliminate minimum parking requirements for certain transit-oriented developments, promote mixed-use development around key stations and give the state more authority over the development of land adjacent to transit stations.
“Maryland is sitting on over 300 acres of state owned land near transit stations just like this one. 300 acres — that land is often dormant. It isn't housing anyone. It isn't growing our economy. It's just sitting on our balance sheets,” Moore said outside the metro station. “Our new legislation will unlock those acres. By aligning our zoning and our financing tools, we can create potentially 7000 new housing units all across the state of Maryland.”
The legislation would also expand existing financial incentives for projects located near high-quality transit stations.
Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jake Day says the Housing Certainty Act of 2026 will also “remove unnecessary, government-created obstacles to building more housing.”
Sponsored by State Sen. Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George’s County) and Delegate Dylan Behler (D-Anne Arundel County), the bill would defer fees for builders until after construction is complete.
“The reason that this matters is that it keeps capital flowing so we can get more shovels into the ground. We can get them into the ground faster, and we can get keys into the hands of homeowners faster as well,” Moore said.
Finally, the Starter and Silver Homes Act of 2026 would aim to increase housing options by allowing smaller, single-family homes on smaller lots.
“Not everybody needs a huge home, nor wants one. So what this does, it offers a measure of flexibility and freedom and stops shutting out Maryland's working families and stops shutting out Maryland seniors from having the opportunity for home ownership,” Moore said.
The legislation would prohibit local jurisdictions from acquiring minimum lot sizes greater than 5000 square feet in areas with water and sewer.
The three bills will be introduced during the legislative session, which starts next week, and it will be up to lawmakers to give them the final stamp of approval.
The endorsements were jointly announced with the selection of Atlantic Pacific Companies as the developer for a new affordable housing and neighborhood-serving retail space beside the Capitol Heights station.
The project will build upon a $17 million commitment from the state toward transit and site infrastructure improvements at the Capitol Heights station, advancing the county’s broader Blue Line Corridor vision.
“The investment in housing and commercial development that will be made here will help spur economic development all along the Blue Line Corridor inside the beltway – and that's important, to say inside the beltway – because inside the beltway, there's so much potential,” said Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy.
The concept includes turning close to 3.8 acres of existing surface parking into 320 affordable apartments, priced at 60 percent of the area median income, along with about 10,000 square feet of retail space.
“We're the gateway to the nation's capital, but I feel like we're invisible… but today is proving different,” Capitol Heights Mayor Linda Monroe said. “It's not just about the tracks and the trains today. It's about progression, it's about connectivity, it's about hope, and that's a big deal.”
As of now, there is no set timeline for the project’s completion.
