HB 538, the Governor's Housing Expansion bill, passed with several amendments. This bill requires local jurisdictions to allow (1) new manufactured homes and modular dwellings in zones that allow single-family residential uses and (2) increased densities and uses in specified zoning areas for “qualified projects” (which include specified amounts of affordable housing). The bill prohibits a local jurisdiction from imposing unreasonable limitations or requirements on a qualified project or requiring a qualified project to be reviewed at more than a specified number of public hearings. The bill also establishes a Historic Property Revitalization Director within the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The bill takes effect January 1, 2025.

HB 693, the Governor's Renters' Rights and Stabilization bill, also passed with amendments. This measure increases the cost of filing eviction and other landlord-tenant cases in court. The bill also establishes the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs (OTLA) in the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), extends the period between granting judgment for possession in favor of a landlord and the execution of the warrant of restitution, establishes a tenant’s right of first refusal (and an exclusive negotiation period) prior to the sale of certain residential rental property, and expands the categories of eviction data that must be collected by the Judiciary and provided to DHCD.

HB 599, the Housing and Community Development Financing Act, is the third and final bill in the Governor's housing package. HB 599 establishes the Maryland Community Investment Corporation to qualify as a Community Development Entity, apply for an allocation of federal New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs), and use this designation and funding to make investments and financial assistance available to low-income communities in the State. The Corporation can begin its work starting July 1, 2024.