Maryland’s transportation and housing departments are entering into an agreement to prioritize home building near transit stations to help the state meet its housing, climate and economic development goals.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld and Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day signed a memorandum of understanding, according to a Monday news release sent by both agencies. Wiedefeld, in a statement, called it a “win-win” that would help lower housing costs and increase public transit use.

Specifically, the agreement means the two departments will collaborate on policy proposals, applications for development and funding, and outreach to potential partners. It also gives priority to state-owned, transit-adjacent sites for funding opportunities available from the housing department.

The state’s transportation department owns as much as 300 acres of land within a half-mile of transit stations, said Joe McAndrew, MDOT assistant secretary for planning and project development. The two agencies hope to turn away from providing large surface parking lots next to public transportation sites and move toward building mixed-use sites that produce housing, reduce climate impacts and add to community growth.

McAndrew pointed to potential opportunities in Odenton, near Fort Meade and Bowie State, as areas that could see more transit-oriented development soon. He said the state hopes to create the next Metro Centre at Owings Mills, which he referred to as a success story that hits all its goals.

“It doesn’t have to happen everywhere all at once,” he said, acknowledging the pushback to more development near transit in some parts of the state and elsewhere in Baltimore County. “Understanding the challenges at certain sites ... we’ve got opportunities elsewhere.”

The partnership comes on the heels of the passage of an ambitious housing policy package signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore — a self-proclaimed “YIMBY” — earlier this year. One component of the package allows for more development and density within a half-mile of public transit stations.

Earlier this month, Moore, Day and other state leaders joined with Mayor Brandon Scott to formalize action on the city’s vacant housing epidemic, pledging to eliminate 5,000 vacant homes in five years. They called it a historic realignment that would drive increased attention and focus on the problem, which has loomed large over Baltimore for decades.

McAndrew, of the state transportation agency, said “leadership from the top” can help drive more progress at the community level.

“We’ve been working toward this MOU and decided it was time to formalize the relationship,” he said, “and time to signal to communities and the market what we can do together.”

This article may be updated.