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Commissioner flags countywide shortage of affordable housing as budget season nears
Summary
A county commissioner said he is working with developers to increase affordable housing after saying his daughter cannot find homes in St. Mary's County at the prices available; he urged officials to prioritize affordable units as the budget process begins.
Unidentified Commissioner said during opening remarks that he has been working with partners to attract developers willing to build what he called “affordable housing” in St. Mary’s County, and that his daughter has struggled to find starter homes in the county.
The commissioner, who described rising household costs including high heating bills, said many of the housing options he is seeing are small one- and two-bedroom units and not what a family starting out needs. He said he would like county staff to identify where available affordable housing units are and to work with developers to expand options.
“The housing market is really expensive,” the commissioner said. He added that the county must do more to recruit developers who will build affordable options for first-time buyers.
The commissioner did not provide a verified price range for the homes he referenced; a figure he cited during the meeting could not be confirmed from publicly available listings. He also noted rising monthly costs for renters and buyers as part of broader affordability pressures.
Next steps: the commissioner said budget work sessions begin next week, where funding and priorities related to housing and other services will be discussed.
