Johnny Olszewski wants to build more affordable housing. Will Baltimore County let him?

Facing a glut of aging shopping centers and a shrinking supply of developable land, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. proposed a bill last month that would have eased roadblocks to redevelopment. Criticism was swift, prompting Olszewski to withdraw it in lieu of a council-backed alternative. But unlike previous attempts to spur housing production, the county will receive a boost from the state amid a looming federal deadline to produce 1,000 affordable units, a lofty goal Olszewski believes can be partly met via redevelopment.