SB0938 • 2026

Community Development - Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Stabilization Program - Establishment

Budget Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Senator Henson
Last action: 2026-02-10
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Community Development - Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Stabilization Program - Establishment

Establishing the Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Stabilization Program in the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide funds for emergency or urgent capital repair needs for certain multifamily housing; and authorizing the Governor to include an appropriation of $5,000,000 in the annual budget bill in fiscal years 2028 through 2031.

What This Bill Does

Establishing the Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Stabilization Program in the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide funds for emergency or urgent capital repair needs for certain multifamily housing; and authorizing the Governor to include an appropriation of $5,000,000 in the annual budget bill in fiscal years 2028 through 2031.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-10 Senate
Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-06 Senate
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Community Development - Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Stabilization Program - Establishment

Official Summary Text

Establishing the Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Stabilization Program in the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide funds for emergency or urgent capital repair needs for certain multifamily housing; and authorizing the Governor to include an appropriation of $5,000,000 in the annual budget bill in fiscal years 2028 through 2031.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0938*

SENATE BILL 938
C9 6lr2146

By: Senator Henson
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Community Development – Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Stabilization 2
Program – Establishment 3

FOR the purpose of establishing the Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Stabilization 4
Program in the Department of H ousing and Community Development to provide 5
funds for emergency or urgent capital repair needs at certain multifamily housing; 6
authorizing the Governor to include a certain appropriation in the annual budget bill 7
in certain fiscal years; and generally relating to the Affordable Multifamily Rental 8
Housing Stabilization Program. 9

BY adding to 10
Article – Housing and Community Development 11
Section 4–216.1 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Housing and Community Development 17

4–216.1. 18

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 19
INDICATED. 20

(2) “ELIGIBLE PROPERTY” MEANS A MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY THAT: 21

(I) CONTAINS 15 OR MORE UNITS OF LOW–INCOME 22
HOUSEHOLDS; AND 23
2 SENATE BILL 938

(II) IS IN THE DEPARTMENT’S LOAN PORTFOLIO. 1

(3) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY RENTAL 2
HOUSING STABILIZATION PROGRAM. 3

(B) THERE IS AN AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY RENTAL HOUSING 4
STABILIZATION PROGRAM. 5

(C) THE PURPOSE OF TH E PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL 6
ASSISTANCE TO OWNERS OF PRIVATE SECTOR, AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY RENTAL 7
HOUSING PROPERTIES WITH EMERGENCY OR URGENT CAPITAL REPAIR NEEDS. 8

(D) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 9

(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PRIORITIZE PROPERTY REPAIRS THAT WILL 10
REDUCE OPERATING COSTS AT THE ELIGIBLE PROPERTY. 11

(F) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL AWARD FUNDS TO AN OWNER OF AN ELIGIBLE 12
PROPERTY FOR EMERGEN CY OR URGENT CAPITAL REPAIRS, ONLY IF THE OWNER 13
PROVIDES DOCUMENTATI ON INDICATING THE PR OPERTY DOES NOT HAVE 14
ADEQUATE OPERATING OR RESERVE FUNDS AVA ILABLE TO PAY FOR TH E 15
NECESSARY REPAIRS. 16

(G) THE PROGRAM MAY BE USED ONLY TO PROVIDE LOW– OR NO–INTEREST 17
LOANS OR GRANTS TO PROPERTY OWNERS FOR REPAIRS ON ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES. 18

(H) FUNDS MAY NOT BE AWARDED FOR REPAIRS AT AN ELIGIBLE PROPERTY 19
IN EXCESS OF $1,000,000 IN A SINGLE FISCAL YEAR. 20

(I) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ACCE PT APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDS UNDER 21
THE PROGRAM ON A ROLLING BASIS. 22

(J) FOR EACH OF FISCAL YEARS 2028 THROUGH 2031, THE GOVERNOR MAY 23
INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION OF $5,000,000 FOR THE 24
PROGRAM. 25

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 26
1, 2026. 27