Maryland has sought to preserve many of its historic houses. Block upon block of two-story brick row houses, often with white stoops, fill the older parts of Baltimore, and stone cottages built to withstand rough winters are still found in the western counties. Greenbelt and Columbia exemplify changing modern concepts of community planning.
There were an estimated 2,197,126 housing units in Maryland in 2002, of which 1,019,463 were occupied; 69.1% were owneroccupied. About 52.2% of all units are single-family, detached homes. Most units rely on utility gas and electricity for heating. It was estimated that 50,167 units lacked telephone service, 11,601 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 7,833 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.64 people.
In 2002, 29,293 privately owned units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $165,784. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $1,366. Renters paid a median of $738 per month. During 2002, Maryland received over $82.2 million in community planning and development aid from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The Department of Housing and Community Development, formed in 1987, oversees all housing and cultural resource areas, providing neighborhood rehabilitation and revitalization, development financing, historical and cultural programs, and information technology. The Maryland Housing Fund of the Department insures qualified lending institutions against losses on home mortgage loans.