Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
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No one’s access to housing should be limited because of race, disability status, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.
Maryland is committed to providing quality, affordable housing opportunities for all current and future residents. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) means taking meaningful actions to overcome patterns of concentrated poverty and segregation to ensure that we all can enjoy security, mobility, and economic opportunity.
Meaningful Actions
Community Engagement and Jurisdiction Self-reflection
Our Commitment to AFFH
Maryland law requires that its municipalities and counties affirmatively further fair housing. To that end, all comprehensive plan housing elements must include an assessment of fair housing. The housing element should also include a description of any local actions that:
- Overcome patterns of segregation
- Foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to housing and opportunity based on protected characteristics
- Address significant disparities in housing needs and access to opportunity
- Replace segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns
- Foster and maintain compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws
While Maryland requires its jurisdictions to further fair housing and include an assessment of fair housing in their housing elements, it does not require that a housing element’s assessment of fair housing include any specific analysis. It also does not require that local jurisdictions take any specific action to further fair housing. Jurisdictions have the flexibility to affirmatively further fair housing as appropriate for their communities as long as the strategies included and implemented through the comprehensive plan’s housing element demonstrate meaningful actions to overcome patters of concentrated poverty and segregation.
To learn more or ask questions about affirmatively furthering fair housing, please contact Carter Reitman, Lead Housing Planner for the Maryland Department of Planning at carter.reitman2@maryland.gov.
