Carroll County will be developing a new County Master Plan that will set the framework for the future land use decisions of the County. This Housing Study component will provide information and recommendations for land use decision-making, analyze zoning and regulatory environment, provide information on trends of all types of housing, and obtain necessary housing information on access to and barriers related to obtaining and maintaining a safe living environment for adults, families, parents/caregivers, children, and youth populations of Carroll County.

The study will consider existing conditions including current county and municipal zoning, infrastructure, development policies, and regulations. The study will identify areas for housing including but not limited to affordable housing (meeting the average median income criteria for extremely low, very low, and low incomes) age-restricted, age-targeted, redevelopment and adaptive reuse opportunities as well as the usage of alternative housing styles. This study will analyze the county’s needs to meet the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing law’s criteria and support long-term county housing needs and economic development opportunities.

New state planning requirements being phased in under 2021’s HB 90 create a new imperative for Maryland jurisdictions to include in their comprehensive plans “an assessment of fair housing to ensure the local jurisdiction is affirmatively furthering fair housing”. This means that, as it is planning for the future, Carroll County must consider meaningful actions it can take to overcome any patterns of segregation and to promote inclusive communities that hold opportunity for all residents, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, national origin, and whether they have children. An Assessment of Fair Housing is the analytical step that patterns of segregation and/or barriers to opportunity to be remedied.

The County completed its Economic Development and Land Use Study (EDLU) in 2023. Although both the EDLU and the Housing Study will serve similar functions in developing data and land use recommendations to inform the upcoming Master Plan update, they cover different but related, subject areas. The County is grateful for all the public engagement in the EDLU through survey responses, focus groups, and open houses and hopes for similar levels of interest and engagement with the Housing Study.

The study will consider two primary types of data: 1) input from residents and community stakeholders; and 2) standardized sources of quantitative data, including figures from the Census, American Community Survey, and local sources.

Specific variables that will be studied include characteristics of the existing housing stock; development trends; existing housing market conditions; current county and municipal zoning, infrastructure, development policies and regulations; projected future housing needs; and areas for new housing development (including but not limited to affordable housing, age-restricted, age-targeted, redevelopment and adaptive reuse opportunities, as well as the usage of alternative housing styles such as tiny houses and manufactured housing).

The Housing Study will ensure that housing policies and goals in the upcoming Master Plan will be informed by current data and thorough research. The Master Plan is a fundamental tool for guiding Carroll County’s growth and land use over the coming 10 years, so an accurate understanding of the current housing landscape now is important for ensuring the County’s long-range planning adequately meets the county’s housing needs in the future.

The Carroll County Bureau of Comprehensive Planning is responsible for the planning effort, in cooperation with the Department of Citizens Services, which encompasses the Aging & Disabilities and Housing & Community Development Bureaus. Additionally, the County has contracted with Mosaic Community Planning, a housing planning consulting firm, to take the lead in developing the study and engaging residents in its creation.

The Housing Study depends, in large part, on the input and insight of residents. A variety of opportunities will be available to receive resident input, including a survey, various in-person outreach events we will be holding throughout the county, and focus groups. A link to the survey and an event schedule will be available on the County’s website.

Until the research is completed, and resident input is evaluated, it is premature to outline policies and strategies the housing study will recommend, however, potential policy recommendations or strategies that could emerge from the housing study may involve affordable housing initiatives, zoning changes, incentives for developers, or plans for future infrastructure investments.

The County’s website https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/housingstudy is the best place to follow the progress of the Housing Study and is where future public presentations of the study’s results will be announced.

If you’d like to receive email updates about the project, including notification when the study results are released to the public, sign up here.

If you can't find the answer to your question about the Housing Study here, please contact the Bureau of Comprehensive Planning at cchousingstudy@carrollcountymd.gov.