Governor Moore Signs Executive Order to Advance Innovative Housing Solutions and Accelerate Permitting

Governor Wes Moore today signed two executive orders to advance new solutions to Maryland’s housing shortage and create more opportunities for people, families and communities to thrive. The orders lower housing costs by accelerating the use of more cost-efficient construction techniques, building a workforce ready to meet the state’s urgent housing need, and reforming permitting, licensing and certification so stalled projects can move forward.

Additional Information from the Office of Governor Wes Moore:

The “Housing Innovation” executive order: 

• Establishes a Maryland Housing Innovation Incubator, to be housed within the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, tasked with developing cutting-edge housing policy solutions using research and pilot programs.
• Establishes a Housing Innovation Advisory Council that will support the Housing Innovation Incubator by identifying potential sources of funding, recommending priority areas of study, and, based on the Incubator’s research and findings, advancing recommendations for legislative, regulatory, and budgetary actions to address Maryland’s undersupply of housing and resulting high housing costs. 
• Supports the adoption of lower cost housing options with a Governor’s Initiative to Accelerate Modular Housing Construction that will support expanded adoption and production of modular housing in Maryland by modernizing regulations, developing statewide pre-approved building plans, and providing technical assistance to local governments.
• Creates a state Modular Workforce Partnership tasked with developing training curricula, programs and outreach strategies for modular workforce development; creating opportunities for on-the-job training in housing construction for Maryland Corps/Service Year cohorts and high school-level registered apprentices; and expanding the mandate of the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council to support local workforce development.

The “Housing Innovation” executive order is the newest executive action from the Moore-Miller Administration to address the state’s housing shortage. The “Housing Starts Here” executive order, signed in September 2025, directed the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to collaborate with sister state agencies, including the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA), Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and Maryland Department of General Services (DGS), to improve the use of state-owned land to create more efficient development, reduce state permitting timelines, and bring more homes to market faster.

To date, implementation of the “Housing Starts Here” executive order has directly resulted in: 

• Identification of several surplus State-owned parcels, totaling over 300 acres of land, that are under review by DGS and DHCD for the suitability for the development of housing;
• Improvement to processing timelines for multifamily housing project applications by DHCD, resulting in 26% faster application reviews;
• Accelerated permitting processes by MDOT SHA and MDE, resulting in a 25% average reduction in MDE permit processing times and improvement in on-time processing rates of MDOT SHA permit applications from 87% to 95%;
• Created pathways to use of third-party permitting for permits through MDOT SHA and MDE; 
• 50 unique housing development projects across the state supported by Maryland’s first State Housing Ombudsman since the position was created seven months ago.

“More housing at all sizes and price points creates more opportunities for Marylanders – from the young adult looking to put down roots to the senior hoping to downsize,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “The Moore-Miller Administration recognizes that not only is housing supply and affordability essential to Maryland’s economic growth, but that the stability of our families depends on it. This “Housing Innovation” executive order addresses key barriers to housing development to bring costs down and meet the housing needs of Marylanders.”

The Permitting and Licensing Acceleration Team (PLAT) executive order:

• Establishes the Governor’s Permitting and Licensing Acceleration Team (PLAT) to lead statewide reforms to Maryland’s permitting, licensing, and certification processes, building on the work of the Maryland Coordinated Permitting Review Council.
• Advances statewide process and regulatory reform by directing PLAT to evaluate permitting, licensing, and certification processes; identify administrative, regulatory, statutory, operational, and technology barriers; support agencies in implementing process improvements; and recommend policy and regulatory changes that reduce unnecessary burdens while maintaining Maryland’s health, safety, professional, and environmental standards.
• Strengthens interagency and State-local coordination, including enhanced support for priority development projects and voluntary partnerships with local jurisdictions, with an initial focus on multifamily housing and other priority development processes.
• Creates a data- and technology-driven framework for accountability, including process maps, standardized timelines and performance measures, applicant resources, a priority-project dashboard, and concierge-style coordination for select priority projects.

Building on the work of the Maryland Coordinated Permitting Review Council, established through Governor Moore’s 2024 “Strengthening Maryland’s Business Climate to Bolster Economic Competitiveness” executive order, PLAT will carry forward the Council’s findings and recommendations into implementation. The Council identified opportunities to improve coordination, predictability, transparency, technology, and accountability across Maryland’s permitting system, helping shape the need for a dedicated team to advance broader reform.

With an initial focus on multifamily housing and other priority development projects, PLAT will strengthen coordination across State government, reduce unnecessary delays, improve project visibility, and support a more efficient and predictable permitting, licensing, and certification system that advances housing production and Maryland’s broader economic competitiveness.