Secretary Jake Day gives update on housing

MARYLAND – The Eastern Shore Delegation held its weekly meeting Friday. Among some of the topics discussed, affordable housing and addressing the state’s housing shortage.

Secretary Jake Day with the Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development said the DHCD’s message remains the same, they are going to be focused on growing Maryland’s economy.

Secretary Day said the state, on the short end, is about 96,000 housing units short of where it needs to be.

He said that’s important because the economy has been stagnant since 2017 and they are unable to grow it unless they address housing costs and availability.

Day also said Maryland’s housing under supply is impacting the state’s economic competitiveness.

“By increasing supply and being intentional about building near transit job centers, then we will be able to tackle housing affordability, make our economy competitive again and retain our workforce in the state,” he said.

Day pointed to the Housing Community Development Financing Act which was recently passed.

The legislation looks to release the most pronounced constraints on the state’s economic growth by addressing housing costs.

The legislation also seeks to tackle the housing affordability and the supply by setting production goals when there are too few homes in a region to support the available jobs.

“The goal of this proposal is to lower cost for Marylanders by cutting red tape while ensuring the state retains and builds upon our strongest asset, that highly skilled workforce,” said Secretary Day.

Maryland ranks 43rd among states for housing affordability and 9th highest in total cost of living, the highest among states in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Day said this is driving migration out of the state, led by Marylanders age 17-34.

“We must identify local housing infrastructure gaps where communities are missing housing and address those gaps to increase affordability, expand opportunity and stimulate economic growth,” he said.

One new addition Day also highlighted, the creation of the Maryland Community Investment Corporation.

The MCIC was recently certified the last few weeks as a community development entity by the US Treasury, meaning it now can tap into millions of dollars to incentivize private investment in communities.

During that meeting, Secretary Day also shared his thoughts on a proposed bill concerning homeless shelters.

House Bill 93 and Senate Bill 234 require all homeless shelters to be compliant and licensed under the Department of Housing.

This has many in the faith community worried about costs, security concerns as well as the feeling that this infringes on their First Amendment rights to religious freedom.

Secretary Day said there is no question that a faith-based institution may practice in the way they choose.

“But in this country, our tradition is our churches, our synagogues, our temples they open there doors and let people in and that’s not what an emergency shelter is, it’s an option, it’s not an option it’s a last resort and so to act as the only emergency housing provider in a given area and to give people the choice of either freezing to death or practicing a faith other than their own, I don’t think that’s exactly American or Christ-like, nor should it be legal,” he said.

Day added he’s seen numerous cases of mismanagement in shelters that do not accept any state or federal funding.