Housing & Communities
Making Housing Affordable and Revitalizing Communities
Nick’s vision to make Baltimore County more affordable, inclusive and modern for everybody starts with housing. You can read Nick’s full plan — The Dream and Deliver Framework — here. It is the most comprehensive housing plan in the County’s history.
Check out Nick’s One County Initiative to see his vision for your community here.
Baltimore County has something for everybody—from 200 miles of tidal shoreline and hiking trails to a global logistics hub and leading colleges and universities. And it used to be that families from all walks of life could come and start a life here and help write the next chapter of Baltimore County’s story. However, that promise is slipping away.
Too many families are being squeezed by rising costs, low wages and a housing crisis that’s pushing dreams out of reach and forcing hard choices every single day. For many residents the reality is that some families end up homeless. See Nick’s plan for addressing homelessness in Baltimore County.
Today, one third of Marylanders spend over a third of their income on housing—or are “cost burdened.” For renters, over half of them are cost burdened, with the average age to buy their first home at 40. This ranks us 43rd in the country for housing affordability.
But it’s not just those who are looking for homes that suffer. It’s those who are happy with their homes too. Just last year, we saw property tax assessments jump by 25% in Baltimore County. This isn’t sustainable and will push out neighbors on fixed incomes.
Our housing challenges are the consequence of a political culture that clings to outdated systems. From “councilmanic courtesy” to our “APFO” law, these rules have fractured our ability to plan as One County and forced families to struggle.
Under the status we have seen:
- Population decline for the first time in a century.
- Rents up 36% in a decade.
- Home prices up 48%.
- Housing inventory is down 57% in just three years.
- Only 679 new units approved in 2023—less than a third of what’s needed to meet demand.
- 6 years to build a new home and 15 years to build a new high school.
Families are stretched thin. Our children are not performing at their best because of having to move regularly, as college students graduate and move away. Public servants—nurses, teachers, police officers, firefighters—can’t afford to live in the communities they serve, lowering morale. And seniors can’t live close to their grandkids or age in the communities they’ve built.
This is a crisis. We cannot afford more of the same.
Fix the Broken System
Baltimore County’s housing crisis is not just about supply. It is also about a government process that is slow, fragmented and unpredictable. Today, projects can take years to navigate through overlapping departments, unclear standards and political interference.
Nick’s plan modernizes County government so it works for residents and communities again.
End the Politics of “Councilmanic Courtesy”
On day one of his administration, Nick will pursue legal action challenging “Councilmanic Courtesy,” the outdated practice that allows individual councilmembers to exercise near-total control over development decisions in their districts.
Baltimore County cannot plan as One County if every district operates like a separate fiefdom.
Reform APFO and Restore Smart Planning
The County’s current APFO law has become a weapon against housing and revitalization.
Nick will:
- Overturn: Overturn the current APFO law championed by Councilman Patoka
- Reform Planning: Replace moratorium-style restrictions with real infrastructure planning
- Accountable Investment: Tie development approvals to meaningful investments in schools, roads and infrastructure
- Collect Impact Fees: Enforce and collect impact fees while ending politically motivated exemptions through veto.
The solution to overcrowding is not to stop building housing. The solution is to invest in infrastructure while planning responsibly for growth.
Modernize Permitting and Planning
Baltimore County’s permitting and planning systems have not kept pace with the modern world.
Nick will:
- Full Audit: Conduct a complete process audit of zoning and land use laws, regulations, and processes to simplify them; land use regulations have not been updated since the 1970s.
- Process Optimization: Using the audit, eliminate redundancy and increase speed by breaking down the multi-department review process and consolidating personnel and offices
- Modernize: Rebuild or replace outdated permitting software like CityWorks
- New Culture: Create a “concierge” no-wrong-door system to guide applicants through the process
- Shot Clocks: Implement real review shot clocks similar to Howard and Montgomery Counties
- Prioritize Priorities: Fast-track projects identified as priorities through HousingStat
- Create Synergy: Utilize audit and artificial intelligence to break down silos among development departments; this includes forcing Phase I Review departments to coordinate before requesting changes to the development plans.
- Bonding and Reviews: Expand third-party reviews and modernize bonding requirements
- Cut Bureaucracy: Reduce unnecessary hearing requirements for by-right projects
- Improved Coordination: Create Major Projects Coordination Committee (akin to Bmore FAST in the City) to ensure progress, accountability and follow-through where it matters most.
Government should move at the speed of business while remaining transparent and accountable to the public.
Create HousingStat and Radical Transparency
HousingStat begins as a comprehensive assessment of housing needs that tracks housing demand, housing costs and housing types through public facing interactive dashboard.
- Clear Targets: HousingStat will set clear housing targets and timeframes for the delivery of new units.
- Interactive Status Updates: It will reveal the status of all projects, and their approvals and waivers, through an “easy-to-use” clickable map of the County.
- Improved Collaboration: Force collaboration across departments and with the public, improve decision-making and measure results.
- Stakeholder Engagement: The dashboard will serve as a primary source of truth and transparency for vital partnerships such as the Maryland Inclusive Housing Corporation with which Nick currently serves on the Baltimore County Committee.
Build More Housing People Can Actually Afford
Baltimore County needs more housing of every kind if we are serious about lowering costs and preserving the promise of the American Dream for working families.
That means building mixed-income communities, expanding starter home opportunities, supporting accessible housing and creating housing options for seniors, young families and public servants.
Build Mixed-Use Communities
Most modern jurisdictions understand that people want to live, work, play and learn in the same place. Nick envisions transforming aging commercial corridors and underused properties into vibrant mixed-use communities that create housing, jobs and community amenities together.
This includes areas like:
- Security Square
- Liberty Road
- Pikesville
- White Marsh
- Eastpoint Mall
- Lutherville-Timonium
- Eastern Boulevard
These projects will prioritize walkability, sustainability, green space and transit access while respecting the identity of surrounding communities.
Nick will:
- Establish Mixed-use Zoning: Introduce legislation establishing a true mixed-use zoning designation
- Target Underused Corridors: Prioritize redevelopment of underused commercial corridors instead of unchecked sprawl
- Reinvest in the Community: Ensure up to 30% of new tax revenue generated by mixed-use projects is reinvested directly into the surrounding community
- Partner with Organized Labor: Prioritize organized labor on major redevelopment projects to ensure quality construction and good-paying jobs
Expand Starter Homes and Workforce Housing
Baltimore County must once again become a place where working families can afford to buy a first home.
Nick’s plan prioritizes “missing middle” housing and attainable homeownership opportunities by:
- Starter Homes: Legalizing smaller starter homes such as tiny homes and cottages through updated lot ordinances
- Townhomes: Expanding opportunities for 16-foot-wide townhomes
- Co-living and Accessory units: Encouraging accessory dwelling units and co-living options
- Converted Offices: Supporting adaptive reuse of underutilized office buildings into residential housing
- Smarter Parking: Reducing unnecessary parking requirements that drive up construction costs
- Prefab and Preapproved: Allowing pre-approved housing designs and prefabricated homes to speed up development and reduce costs
If paired with strategic redevelopment efforts, these reforms can help deliver attainable homes for working families at price points far below the current market.
Prioritize Affordable and Accessible Housing
Affordable housing should not be segregated from the broader housing market or hidden from opportunity.
Nick’s plan includes:
- Partnering for Affordability: A partnership with Habitat for Humanity to help produce and finance affordable housing units in mixed-use communities
- Investing in Ourselves: A Housing Opportunities Fund capable of acquiring blighted properties and assembling redevelopment-ready parcels
- Inclusionary Zoning: Expanded use of inclusionary zoning tools that balance fairness, equity and feasibility
- Incentivize Accessibility: Enhanced accessibility and universal design standards in major projects receiving public incentives
- Disability Super Preference: A disability housing priority program that gives super preference for accessible housing units and housing vouchers for residents with disabilities
- Housing Navigator: A countywide housing navigator and waitlist coordination system through HousingStat
The goal is simple: create communities where seniors can age in place, people with disabilities can access housing with dignity and working families can afford to stay in Baltimore County.
Revitalize Communities Through Smart Growth
Baltimore County has too many communities and commercial corridors that have been left behind for decades.
Nick’s housing plan is not just about building units. It is about revitalizing neighborhoods, restoring community pride and unlocking investment across every part of the County.
Prioritize Post-World War II Communities
Communities like Dundalk, Essex, Lansdowne and Baltimore Highlands contain some of the most affordable housing stock in the County, but they desperately need reinvestment.
Nick will:
- Redevelopment Authority: Establish a countywide redevelopment authority capable of acquiring blighted and tax sale properties
- Strategic Parceling: Assemble development-ready parcels to encourage strategic redevelopment
- Support to Good Work: Reinvigorate the plans created by County Executive Jim Smith under his Renaissance initiative for Randallstown (town center), Dundalk (marina district with amateur sports center), Essex (waterfront destination) and Towson (walkability master plan).
- Give Power to Communities: Support community-led revitalization through Community Development Organizations (CDOs)
- Partner with Anchors: Partner with interfaith organizations, Greek organizations and local institutions as community anchors
- Create Cohort of Stakeholders: Create a public-private working group similar to the “Baltimore Housing Innovation Cohort” in Baltimore City, which includes community developers, builders, unions and public health-focused groups and concentrates on property acquisition, rehabilitation and affordable housing development.
Make the Master Plan Matter
The Master Plan should be a blueprint for decision-making, not a document that sits on a shelf.
Nick will:
- Close Loopholes: Work with state lawmakers to close loopholes that allow local governments to ignore their own master plans
- Community Driven Planning: Expand community-driven small area plans that reflect local priorities
- Develop Infrastructure: Align development decisions with infrastructure planning and revitalization goals so that our sewers, water systems and schools are improved and never overwhelmed.
Growth should happen intentionally, transparently and in partnership with the community.
Expand Opportunities for Community Investment
Baltimore County must become a place that welcomes investment that strengthens communities, expands housing opportunities and revitalizes aging corridors.
Today, too many worthwhile projects struggle to move forward because the County lacks a clear, modern and transparent strategy for supporting redevelopment. Nick’s plan changes that by using proven financial tools to unlock investment while ensuring communities directly benefit from growth.
Nick will:
- Purposeful Tax Incentives: Design a transparent, tiered program for tax abatements, including both Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and Community Revitalization Districts, to support transformative redevelopment projects while building public trust and accountability
- Deploy TIFs Strategically: Prioritize the strategic use of TIFs to help finance infrastructure and community improvements tied to major mixed-use and revitalization projects
- Reasonable Density Bonuses: Establish reasonable density bonuses that encourage workforce housing, mixed-income communities and transit-oriented development
- Responsible Bonding: Utilize local revenue bonds to finance public improvements and enhancements, with revenue generated by the project itself helping repay the debt
- State Investment: Advocate for expanded state investment in programs like the DHCD Community Legacy Program and Sustainable Communities initiatives that support revitalization and redevelopment
- Use Federal Tools: Leverage federal tools like HUD Section 108 financing to provide low-cost, long-term funding for economic development and community investment projects
Other jurisdictions across Maryland already use these tools to drive investment and revitalize communities. Baltimore County should be leading the way, not falling behind.
When paired with stronger planning, faster permitting and community-driven redevelopment strategies, these tools can help transform aging commercial corridors and underutilized properties into thriving places where families can afford to live, work and build their future.
Restore Pride in Our Communities
Strong communities are not built through neglect. They are built through shared standards, civic pride and a local government that responds when residents ask for help.
Too often, residents feel like obvious quality-of-life issues — illegal dumping, abandoned properties, overgrown lots, illegal signage and chronic code violations — go unresolved for far too long. That erodes trust in government and weakens the sense of place that makes neighborhoods feel safe, welcoming and connected.
Nick’s plan restores a culture of accountability and partnership between the County and the community.
Nick will:
- Reform Code Enforcement: Reemphasize proactive code enforcement by implementing recommendations from the County’s Code Enforcement Improvement Work Group
- Empower Communities: Expand coordinated “community sweeps,” where inspectors from multiple departments work together block-by-block to identify and resolve issues more efficiently
- Get Serious about Signage: Create a dedicated “sign czar” within the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections to consistently address illegal signs and visual blight throughout the County
This is not about punishing communities. It is about supporting them.
Every neighborhood deserves to feel cared for, respected and invested in. By improving responsiveness, coordination and enforcement, Baltimore County can help restore community pride and strengthen the quality-of-life residents deserve.
A County Where Families Can Stay
This plan is about more than housing policy.
It is about whether the next generation can afford to stay in Baltimore County. Whether seniors can age in place. Whether teachers, nurses and first responders can live near the communities they serve. Whether young families can still believe that hard work leads to opportunity.
Baltimore County should once again be a place where people can build a life, raise a family and feel confident that their children can do the same.
That future is still possible. But we must choose it together as One County.
Local governments must hunt for smart growth | GUEST COMMENTARY
We must dispel the myth that local governments should be passive actors in development projects, Nick Stewart and Tom Coale write.