Tiny Houses Could Be Coming To Anne Arundel County

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Tiny house communities could soon be built in Anne Arundel County.

Supporters think these smaller houses, called cottage homes, would offer a more affordable route to home ownership.

Council Member Pete Smith (D-District 1) introduced the legislation, dubbed Bill 92-25, on Nov. 17. The bill will have a public hearing Monday at 7 p.m. in the county council chambers.

"We've got a housing crisis in Anne Arundel County," Smith said in a prerecorded video explaining his pitch. "Prices are too high, and too many families and individuals have a hard time finding a place they can afford."

Smith's legislation defines tiny houses as those sized 700 square feet or less. They would be capped at 10 units per acre in an R1 zoning district, 15 units per acre in an R2 or R5 zoning district and 20 units per acre in an R10 zoning district.

"We need to pass this law, and then, we need to encourage builders to use it to help increase the housing supply for those who need it most," Smith said. "Laws aren't enough. I'm committed to closing the gap and working directly with builders to make sure these attractive, affordable homes become reality."

The cottage homes must initially be occupied by households making no more than 80% of the Baltimore area's median income. Smith hopes that means the homes would be priced at $200,000.

"Provisions in the law mean they will stay affordable in perpetuity," Smith said. "They can't be rented out or flipped by speculators."

Smith thinks the county's housing supply contributes to the rising costs of home ownership.

He said the county is building fewer than 2,300 homes of all types annually.

"A huge part of the problem is lack of supply. We aren't building enough homes," Smith said. "This is hurting our economy and our workforce."

Smith acknowledged that this legislation won't solve every housing woe, but he believes it's a strong starting point.

"There's no single solution to this crisis," he said. "We need to use every tool we can find to create more homes and build housing that our teachers, police, firefighters, seniors and essential workers can afford."

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