Baltimore City Needs An Effective Inclusionary Housing Law

What is Inclusionary Housing?

The Inclusionary Housing laws require particular developers to set aside a percentage of new apartments to be more affordable and help create a more socio-economically integrated community.

It has been 195 days since the City allowed Baltimore's 14-year-old Inclusionary Housing law to sunset. However, the bill could have been more effective and produced only 37 affordable housing units (apartments) in that period. In 2020, Baltimore City independently identified the Inclusionary Housing Law as its sole impediment to Fair Housing through its Fair Housing Action plan and agreed to prevent the law from expiring. The City failed.

City Council Bill 22-0195 was introduced and sponsored by Councilwoman Odette Ramos in February 2022. A small group of committed Baltimore City nonprofit organizations to work on amendments to the current law to make it more effective. The workgroup produced an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun and held a rally in front of City Hall in June. The Inclusionary Housing Coalition's (IHC) goal is to pass an effective Inclusionary Housing law that produces units.

Ultimately, the work grew into the Inclusionary Housing Coalition (IHC) after Baltimore City Council and DHCD permitted the law to expire on June 30, 2022. The Inclusionary Housing Coalition is made up of 19 organizations: Associated Black Charities, Baltimore City Branch of the NAACP, Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership, Beyond the Boundaries Coalition, BRIDGE Maryland, Inc., CASA, Citizens Planning and Housing Association, Community Development Network, Disability Rights Maryland, Govans Ecunemuical Development Corporation, Job Opportunity Task Force, League of Women Voters, Baltimore, Maryland

Center on Economic Policy, Maryland inclusive Housing, Public Justice Center, SEIU-1199, South Baltimore Gateway (Historic Sharp Leadenhall), and SHARE Baltimore.

The IHC has produced a Fact Sheet which provides an overview of the law. A solid social media campaign has been going strong since then. The Inclusionary Housing law has been in the media. The work is vital. City Council Bill 22-0195.

See the IHC Fact Sheet for the Inclusionary Housing Coalition's position.

See a recording of the November 2022 Inclusionary Housing hearing can here, and a video of the December 2022 work session is featured here.

Follow the Inclusionary Housing on Twitter, #BmoreInclusionary, and #BmoreEquitable.