The Coalition's goal is to achieve community understanding, policy making and regulatory decisions that will lead to an increase in and equitable access to Howard County affordable housing. We seek to contribute to a community-wide recognition that Howard County's economic vitality is dependent upon access to jobs, housing that individuals and families can afford, a quality educational system, and resident mobility.
Embedded Files
Our New Housing Dashboard
Our new dashboard brings Howard County's most important housing numbers into one easy-to-navigate place — whether you're prepping testimony, briefing a partner, or talking with a neighbor. It covers home prices and rents, what it takes to afford the median-priced home, the gap in affordable rental housing, who carries the heaviest cost burden, and more. Explore the data and see how housing affordability is shaping our community.
Calendar
October 2026
County Council
28 Legislative Working Session, 10:00 a.m.
Council work session to discuss legislation currently under consideration, including bills heard on September 22. Agenda TBA
30 Legislative Session, 10:00 a.m.
Council voting on pending legislation.
December 7, 7:00 p.m. (site to be determined)
Installation of newly elected County Executive and County Council members.
News Roundup
October 17, 2026
Howard County
Reminder: Vote YES on Question B! With November voting underway, we strongly encourage a YES vote on Ballot Question B to help tackle Howard County’s critical housing shortage. Given that local median home prices have reached $639,000 and funding requests for the Housing Opportunities Trust Fund ($32M+) significantly outpace available resources ($16M), Question B provides a crucial financing mechanism to support affordable homeownership projects. For complete details, please see our Info Sheet
All trends point to higher rents and home values: A recent report from the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) highlights significant demographic and economic shifts in the county during recent years.
Maryland
High housing costs drive poverty. A report from the Pew Charitable Trusts estimates that high housing costs account for 21% of poverty in Maryland, ranking it 7th among U.S. states where housing expenses contribute most heavily to poverty. The report emphasizes that Maryland's housing shortage offsets anti-poverty measures and forces families to cut back on basic needs like food, clothing, and healthcare.
National
High mortgage rates worsen the housing affordability crisis: A recent CNN article highlights how rising interest rates are compounding severe housing supply shortages and driving homeownership further out of reach for working-class families.
Jeff Bezos has a blunt answer for why housing is so expensive (as reported by TheStreet),
The full Housing News Roundup can be found here
Help shape the present and future of housing in Howard County.
We welcome organizations and individuals to join the Coalition. Members receive regular policy and legislative updates on matters that impact affordable housing, and are encouraged to attend Coalition meetings. Members also receive calls to action that can include writing letters, testifying at meetings, supporting in-person events, or providing education to the public.
Membership is free. Coalition members are published on this website and made available in conjunction with public Coalition statements as appropriate.
To join the Howard County Housing Affordability Coalition, please complete the membership sign-up form.
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