Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski plans to sign an executive order Tuesday designed to create more affordable housing across the county.
Under Olszewski’s executive order shared with WYPR, a developer who gets any financial help from the county like a loan, a grant or a tax break, will be on the hook to dedicate at least 20% of the units in a development for people who need affordable housing.
Olszewski said, “We have to have ways to make sure our housing is high quality, affordable in neighborhoods all over with great access to schools and parks, jobs and transit.”
Olszewski said if the cost of the affordable housing requirement threatens to sink a development, then the county will step in and help the developer with additional financial support.
“To ensure that the project is not put in jeopardy,” Olszewski said.
A developer who receives no assistance from the county will not be bound by the executive order.
Under the executive order, a developer will be required to set aside at least 10% of available units for households at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Another 10% of available units will be required for households at or below 80% of AMI.
Baltimore County’s Area Median Income for a household is $122,200.
In 2016, Baltimore County entered into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to settle complaints that the county had violated the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Under the agreement, Baltimore County is required to create 1,000 affordable housing units by March of 2028. The county reports that so far it has 468 leasable units with another 180 available for leasing in the near future.
Olszewski said he is confident the county will reach the 1000 unit goal because 908 units have been approved so far “with many many more units in the pipeline.”
There is a gap between when a unit is approved, then built, then leased.
Olszewski, who during his first campaign for county executive in 2018 campaigned on the importance of affordable housing, said he sees the requirements in the compliance agreement as “a floor, not a ceiling.”
Olszewski, who was elected to Congress in November, will be stepping down as county executive in January with two years remaining on his second term.
It will be up to the next county executive whether to keep Olszewski’s affordable housing executive order in place.
WYPR exclusively reported this story on 12/3/2024
