Congratulations, ACT! On Monday, October 7th, after our many months of organizing, the Anne Arundel County Council voted to pass the Attainable Housing Act!
This policy will require new housing developments to set aside 10 to 15% of units for people with moderate incomes. Not only that, but it will expand the types of housing that can be built in different regions of the county, including duplexes and townhomes, to provide more reasonably priced housing options.
Dr. Linda Hanifin Bonner, leader of the ACT Attainable Housing Team, said, “The impact of this policy is not just about the percentage of moderately priced dwelling units that can be accomplished. It is also about ensuring that the types of homes that are affordable can be built in all parts of the county.”
This new law is a huge win for making housing more affordable for our families, seniors, essential workers, and young people, and building a community where we can all thrive.
Getting this bill passed despite opposition was a huge effort, and it would not have happened without ACT. In November 2023, we had a turnout of 450 people to support the first round of the bill. Once the first bill failed to pass, we made sure the council introduced a new version this year. Our 200-person action on April 30th and countless meetings and emails kept up the pressure on the County Council to introduce and pass this improved version of the bill. On Monday night, 72 ACT members showed up with yellow T-shirts to support its passage.
Six ACT leaders gave powerful testimonies at the council hearing. Deborah G. spoke: “I am a proud Annapolis City MPDU owner who happens to be disabled and works full-time, and I am in support of bill 72-24… Some might wonder why I still take my spare time to go to meetings about an MPDU bill, email about the issue, and speak in front of you. It is because at church, I once heard a sermon when the pastor talked about the importance of reaching out to get a leg up, but not to forget to hold out a hand behind you to bring others along.”
Great work for making this victory happen! We will continue to organize to ensure that the act is fully implemented, but we also deserve to celebrate. Congratulations on helping make our county a place where our families and people of all backgrounds and walks of life can afford to live!
We will be having a potluck to celebrate and evaluate our Attainable Housing victory (date TBD). We hope you will join us.