Baltimore, MD – Inclusionary Housing refers to municipal and county planning ordinances requiring a given share of new construction be affordable.  An overall goal is to promote economic diversity and balanced neighborhoods through housing opportunities for a wide range of households in a broad range of neighborhoods. The Baltimore City ordinance has been in place for over a decade but has been largely ineffective.  The current law expires in 2022.  The Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) is working to offer recommendations for new legislation to improve the ordinance’s effectiveness in creating new affordable units and supporting equitable community development.

In 2021, DHCD engaged Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise) to assess and evaluate the City’s current Inclusionary Housing Law, make recommendations to increase its effectiveness, and work with the City to prepare revised legislation and program guidelines.  Enterprise has completed its Phase 1 Draft Interim Report (Interim Report), now available for public review and comments.

The Interim Report notes that Baltimore's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance is ineffective for two primary reasons: a) The financial burden on generating new affordable housing units is placed on the City, b) There is a lack of alignment with the current market dynamic (tenure and income levels).  The Interim Report also notes that the policy structure is viewed as complex in areas where it needs the most clarification and generalized in areas where it needs the most level of detail.  In addition, the policy is applied citywide and does not consider the housing market realities in different neighborhoods across the city.  Additional key findings and recommendations are contained in the full Interim Report.

Phase 2 of the work will explore policy changes that will inform revised legislation.

The comment period for the Phase1 Draft Interim Report is open until Tuesday, October 26, 2021. Learn more.

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