Maryland Realtors Report Highlights Lack Of “Missing Middle” Housing

Marylanders with moderate incomes are finding few housing options within the state, according to a new poll conducted by American Strategies for Maryland Realtors, the state’s largest trade association serving more than 32,000 Realtor members. In the poll, 61% of those with moderate income say there is too little housing, an increase of 33% since January 2020.

As part of Maryland Realtors’ “Open Doors to Stronger Neighborhoods” campaign, which examines ways to increase housing opportunity and housing equity for all Marylanders, the association has continued to take the pulse of Maryland voters about their concerns on a variety of housing-related issues. According to Freddie Mac and the National Association of Realtors, Maryland currently suffers from a housing shortage of more than 120,000 units.

Concern is growing about the lack of “missing middle” housing: a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units that are compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes. Many Marylanders have too much income to qualify for subsidized housing, yet still can’t afford homes in this “missing middle” range. Many Marylanders need a place to call home, and they are not able to find it. This includes “missing middle” housing.

Additional findings include:

• 76% of Maryland voters think the cost to buy a home in Maryland is too high, a 33% increase since 2020
  
  
• 44% say there are too few homes to buy, an increase of 47% since 2020
  
  
• The cost to rent a home is too high according to 80% of Maryland voters, an increase of 31% since 2020
  
  
• 45% of Maryland voters think there are too few places to rent, an increase of 32% since 2020
  
  
• 62% of Maryland voters who have a full-time job still do not make enough to afford a home
  
  
• For young professionals, 72% say there is too little housing
  
  
• For seniors and those with special needs, 60% say there is too little housing
  
  
• For people with low incomes, 69% say there is too little housing

A majority of Maryland voters — 77% — support the idea of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), a small, independent residential unit located on the same lot of a single-family home or attached to the home as a separate unit, to help solve Maryland’s current housing shortage.

The poll discovered information regarding people of color and their unique challenges when it comes to housing:

• 57% of Maryland voters believe that home appraisers assign different values to homes based on race
  
  
• 62% feel that lenders make it harder for people of color to qualify for a loan
  
  
• 64% of those polled feel that landlords charge higher rents to people of color, while 54% think landlords are making it harder for people of color to qualify

“The results of this poll should be of concern to any Marylander who wants to call this great state home,” said Yolanda Muckle, 2023 president of Maryland Realtors. “Something else this poll revealed: 29% of Maryland voters — nearly a third — have considered moving out of state because the cost of housing is so prohibitive. Our state and local lawmakers can help on a variety of fronts, starting with statewide ADU legislation, but all of us need to do our part to make sure that anyone who wants a home can become a homeowner, that nobody is left behind.”