Maryland affordable housing is scarce, and realtors are lobbying for change

If you have been looking for houses in Maryland lately, you probably have noticed there are not a lot of options — and the few available are expensive. Maryland Realtors, a trade association for the state’s real estate agents, is trying to push for legislative action this session in order to keep up with demand. Freddie Mac and the National Association of Realtors estimate there is a housing shortage of around 120,000 units for Marylanders. That shortage is driving up the cost of available housing. A recent survey done in January by the group found 76% of Maryland voters think the cost to buy a home in the state is too high. Maryland Realtors’ concern is growing about the lack of “missing middle” housing, a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units.