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Baltimore council passes a rowhouse conversion; eight more bills wait

Baltimore council passes a rowhouse conversion; eight more bills wait

Rule Changes Baltimore, MD local

One conversion is law, one awaits the mayor, and eight bills covering nine rowhouses sit in committee

October 19th, 2026: Council passes 1118 N Carey Street conversion

Overview

Updated Oct 4

Baltimore's zoning code requires a vote of the full City Council to turn a single-family rowhouse into multiple apartments. On Oct. 19 the council gave final passage to a bill converting 1118 N Carey Street into three units and sent it to the mayor. A bill converting 812 N Carey Street into two units was signed into law on Aug. 6. Eight more such bills, covering nine rowhouses, were introduced between Sept. 14 and Oct. 19 and are in committee.

The bills test whether Baltimore's legislative zoning path can add housing units in areas hit hard by vacancy. Community organizations filed support letters, citing the need for housing and the chance to bring vacant properties back into use. Several of the requests also need lot-size variances, since the parcels fall short of current R-8 requirements.

Why it matters

Passage would give rowhouse owners a working path to add units in a city with roughly 13,000 vacant homes.

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Key Indicators

8
Conversion bills in committee
Eight bills would convert nine rowhouses; one more passed Oct. 19 and one became law Aug. 6.
11
Rowhouses in conversion bills
Nine still pending, plus 812 and 1118 N Carey Street.
13,000
Vacant homes citywide
Rough count cited by Maryland officials in the vacant-housing push.
$50M
State vacant-housing funds
Maryland released $50 million to developers in 2025.

Voices

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People Involved

Brandon M. Scott
Brandon M. Scott
Mayor of Baltimore
Leading the city's vacant-housing agenda
JD
Jake Day
Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development
Oversees $50M vacant-housing funding

Organizations Involved

Baltimore City Council
Baltimore City Council
Municipal legislature
Passed 1118 N Carey St conversion Oct. 19; eight more pending

The 15-member body that must approve rowhouse-to-multifamily conversions in R-8 districts by ordinance.
Baltimore Department of Housing & Community Development
Baltimore Department of Housing & Community Development
City agency
Runs vacancy programs; oversees redevelopment

The city agency that manages the Fixed Pricing Program selling vacant city-owned buildings and lots.

Timeline

October 2024 October 2026

6 events Latest: October 19th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Council passes 1118 N Carey Street conversion

    Latest Legislative

    The council gave final passage to the three-unit conversion and sent it to the mayor. Bills for 1321 N Carey Street and 2905 Parkwood Avenue were introduced the same day.

  2. Committee backs 1118 N Carey Street conversion

    Legislative

    The Land Use & Transportation Committee recommended the bill on Sept. 24 and it reached second reader Sept. 28, when a bill for 930 N Stricker Street was also introduced. Several pending bills need lot-size variances; community groups filed support letters.

  3. Five more conversion bills introduced

    Legislative

    Bills cover six rowhouses: 525 N Calhoun and 510 N Gilmor streets, 1020 W Barre Street, 710 and 724 N Carrollton Avenue, and 3982 Elm Avenue.

  4. 812 N Carey Street conversion signed

    Legislative

    The mayor signed the bill letting 812 N Carey Street become two units, after the council passed it July 13.

  5. State releases $50M for developers

    Funding

    Maryland Housing Secretary Jake Day cuts vacant-housing funding wait to under a year.

  6. Reinvest Baltimore launches

    Policy

    Governor Wes Moore's program targets 5,000 vacant homes in five years.

Scenarios

1

Baltimore council approves all eight pending conversions

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: West Baltimore community organizations that filed support letters

The council passes all eight pending bills on final reading, and the Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals grants the required lot-size variances. The nine rowhouses gain multifamily units, adding to the two Carey Street conversions already passed. Community support letters and the city's vacancy push bolster the path.

2

Council splits, approving some conversions

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Baltimore zoning attorneys following the cluster

The council passes some bills but rejects or defers others, likely on lot-size variances or narrow opposition from individual block associations. The precedent is partial, leaving the conversion path open for some properties but not others. This is the standard outcome for clustered conditional-use bills where each parcel faces distinct constraints.

3

Variance denials block the conversions

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Zoning attorneys who handle lot-area variance cases

The council approves the conditional uses, but the Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals denies the lot-size variances because the parcels fall short of R-8 minimums. Without variances, the conversions cannot proceed. Owners would need to reduce unit counts, buy adjacent land, or abandon the plans.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

December 2018

Minneapolis ends single-family zoning (2018)

Minneapolis became the first major U.S. city to eliminate single-family zoning, allowing up to three units on any residential lot. The change came through a 12-0 council vote as part of a plan to address a housing shortage and racial segregation.

Then

The policy took effect in 2019, with duplexes and triplexes allowed citywide. Opposition and legal challenges followed, but the change stuck.

Now

The reform became a national template for upzoning, and several states and cities later copied or adapted it.

Why this matters now

Minneapolis removed the legal barrier Baltimore keeps: a case-by-case council vote for each conversion. By-right zoning avoids the cost and uncertainty of Baltimore's conditional-use path.

2016–2021

California ADU reforms (2016–2021)

California passed successive laws to make accessory dwelling units legal by right on single-family lots, starting with SB 1069 and AB 2299 in 2016. A later bill, SB 9 (2021), allowed duplexes and lot splits.

Then

ADU permitting rose sharply, with annual permits roughly tripling between 2017 and 2021. Approval shifted from discretionary to ministerial review.

Now

Accessory units became a significant share of new housing in many California markets, showing how removing discretionary review can unlock units without new land.

Why this matters now

Contrasts with Baltimore's case-by-case council approval. When conversions are by right, owners do not need a bill and a variance for each property.

Sources

(12)
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Baltimore City Council WMAR-2 News Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development BiggerPockets forum Baltimore City Council Baltimore City Council Baltimore City Council Baltimore City Council Baltimore City Council Baltimore City Council Baltimore City Council Baltimore City Council