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Building housing in Baltimore just got easier. Last month, Mayor Brandon Scott signed four zoning and building-code bills that clear away long-standing barriers to small and missing-middle housing.
For years, Baltimore residents and builders have faced rules that made even modest projects difficult. Parking mandates forced them to include costly off-street parking spaces. Lot coverage and yard rules meant they couldn’t use their land to its full potential. If they built a mid-rise building, they needed to include two staircases even when safety standards could be met with one. Meanwhile, zoning decisions were split between departments, adding friction and delay. None of those rules made housing better; they just made it harder to produce.
The new reforms start to unwind that:
- Bill 25-0065 eliminates off-street parking mandates for new developments. This reduces costs and gives people more flexibility to design for people rather than vehicles.
- Bill 25-0064 reduces bulk and yard requirements. Builders can now put more on their lots, opening the door for gradual intensification. For example, more homeowners can now add an addition or backyard cottage.
- Bill 25-0062 allows buildings up to six stories to have a single stairway. This makes mid-rise housing more affordable and lets builders design more contextual and appealing buildings while still meeting safety standards.
- Bill 25-0063 makes the planning department responsible for zoning administration. The planning department was already closely involved with zoning, so this shift concentrates knowledge and responsibility in one place, which should translate into a clearer and more streamlined process.
City officials and committee members are continuing to debate a fifth bill that would allow small multi-family housing in areas currently limited to single-family homes. If passed, it would open the door for duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings throughout more of the city.
Whether the final bill advances or not, the four already signed represent real progress. They’ll let Baltimore meet its residents' needs in a more flexible and adaptable way. A homeowner can add a suite for an aging parent. A small developer can rehab a vacant lot without being priced out by design requirements that don’t fit the site. Disinvested neighborhoods can start recovering from the inside. This is how cities grew for generations, and it’s how financially resilient places grow today.
Much of the momentum behind these reforms came from everyday residents. The city’s Local Conversation, Baltimoreans for People-Oriented Places, helped educate the public on the bills and encouraged residents to submit letters and public comments in support. Thanks to these everyday efforts and the hard work of city officials and staff, Baltimore is giving its residents the opportunity to fight the housing crisis and make their city stronger.
This is exactly the kind of approach Strong Towns promotes in our housing toolkits: incremental reforms that remove unnecessary regulatory hurdles, make building easier, and let cities adapt over time to residents’ changing needs. If you want to learn more about implementing these strategies in your own city, click here to get practical guidance, examples, and step-by-step recommendations.
