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<section article="glu" article_name="Land Use" number="1-409" title_number="1" title_name="Definitions; General Provisions" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Home Rule Counties">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Affirmatively further fair housing” has the meaning stated in § 2–401 of the Housing and Community Development Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Area median income” has the meaning stated in § 4–1801 of the Housing and Community Development Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Low–income housing” means housing that is affordable for a household with an aggregate annual income that is below 60% of the area median income.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Workforce housing” has the meaning stated in § 4–1801 of the Housing and Community Development Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>In addition to implementing the planning principle in § 1–201(b)(3) of this title, the housing element shall address:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the provision of an adequate supply of housing to accommodate all current and anticipated future residents of the county;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the age, structural type, value, and occupancy characteristics of the county’s housing stock;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the elimination of substandard dwelling conditions; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the provision of adequate sites for future housing, including affordable housing.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The housing element shall be informed by the following State plans:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the Fair Housing Choice and Racial and Economic Housing Integration Report, as described in § 2–302 of the Housing and Community Development Article; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the State of Maryland Five Year Consolidated Plan, as required by 24 C.F.R. § 91.300.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Department of Planning shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>provide a charter county with the best available housing data from the U.S. Census Bureau; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>facilitate, to the extent possible, the provision of data relevant to the preparation of the housing element from other State and federal agencies.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Department of Housing and Community Development shall provide a charter county with the best available State–level housing data.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A housing element may include goals, objectives, policies, plans, and standards.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>A housing element shall address the need for affordable housing within the county, including:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>workforce housing; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>low–income housing.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A county has a duty to affirmatively further fair housing through the county’s housing and urban development programs.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The housing element of a comprehensive plan that is enacted or amended on or after January 1, 2025, shall include an assessment of fair housing to ensure that the county is affirmatively furthering fair housing for current and future residents.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>On request of a county, the Department of Planning, in consultation with the Department of Housing and Community Development, shall provide technical assistance for the purpose of developing the housing element of the comprehensive plan.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>This subsection does not require a county to take, or prohibit a county from taking, a specific action to affirmatively further fair housing.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
