Reduced-priced housing could help residents facing expensive living in Anne Arundel County

BALTIMORE - Anne Arundel County leaders are considering reviving a bill that would require most new residential buildings to include reduced-priced units. 

The county is sixth most expensive county in Maryland when it comes to rent, according to U.S. housing data.

"Pricey, very expensive," Anne Arundel County resident Brian Srour said. "I pay close to $3,000 for a two bedroom."

How much is rent in Anne Arundel County?

Rent in Anne Arundel County has gone up by more than 22% in the past five years, according to data from Apartment List.

"For a two-bedroom? $4,750," Anne Arundel County resident Deborah Gundry said. "That is a lot of money."

County residents spoke up about out-of-reach rent at a council meeting last December, just before council members voted down the proposed Essential Worker Housing Access Act drafted by County Executive Steuart Pittman.

What is the Essential Worker Housing Access Act?

The measure would have required developers of large-scale building projects to make 15% of units affordable for renters earning $62,000 per year or less. Six months later, council is considering a revised approach.

"There were developers who build this housing who were worried that some of the benefits, particularly the density bonus, that we talked about with them was not achievable," Pittman said.

Density bonuses allow greater density to be built on a site than zoning would otherwise allow. They're often an incentive to encourage preferred types of development activity.

Zoning adjustments

Councilmember Allison Pickard, who voted no on the original bill, says they need to also adjust zoning to allow for more units to be built on a certain lot.

"Now you've got a house, two, on a lot that would have only previously contained one," Pickard said. "Now you're getting to the affordability, but you're also using the land efficiently."

Pickard says it's a daunting task but she's confident they're moving in the right direction.

"Getting rid of red tape that really doesn't have a public benefit but we have to get in return, we have to get a guarantee that some of those units will be affordable for the people who our economy depends on," Pittman said.

There's no set timeline for when the bill will be reintroduced, but Pickard says she's hoping for mid-July.