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Housing Opportunities and Finance

Maryland Homeownership Programs

Baltimore County residents who wish to be homeowners may qualify for the Maryland Mortgage Program. If you can meet the day-to-day costs but need help with the downpayment, this may be the program for you.

The Housing Opportunities and Finance program aims to:

  • Improve housing stock and preserve neighborhoods by working with community-based organizations
  • Create homeownership opportunities
  • Assist homeowners in bringing their residences up to Baltimore County codes and standards
  • Stimulate the development and redevelopment of high quality multifamily housing for County renters

The County's commitment—within its fiscal capacity—is to ensure that each of its residents has the resources to enjoy a high quality of life and that each of its communities is livable and attractive. Among these resources is the right of fair and equal access to housing that is decent, safe, sanitary and affordable. The County is making an effort to maintain its institutional and financial capacity to ensure the availability of housing for all its citizens.

How to Apply

Residents seeking assistance for home rehabilitation can submit a completed Universal Programs Application via email to dhcd@baltimorecountymd.gov.

Affordable Housing

The County will undertake the following activities to maintain and increase access to affordable housing by:

  • Assisting first-time low-to-moderate income homebuyers to purchase existing homes within the community conservation areas
  • Increasing the availability of affordable and workforce housing within existing older communities
  • Creating housing opportunities for populations with special needs, including the elderly, people with disabilities and households of low or fixed income
  • Building and increasing community-based capacity to acquire and rehabilitate existing housing as part of a community-based redevelopment strategy
  • Promoting the use of sustainable design and green housing techniques in the construction of and the rehabilitation of affordable housing
  • Promoting maintenance of the current supply of decent, affordable, assisted housing within the context of stable, well-maintained and well-serviced neighborhoods
  • Promoting full utilization of all existing subsidies, including Housing Choice Vouchers
  • Providing opportunities for economic self-sufficiency and asset development needed to empower assisted housing program participants
  • Promoting fair housing and equal opportunity in housing

These activities represent sound investments in the future of the County, as well as in the future of each of its citizens. These activities complement the County's broader housing strategies that are not necessarily income-based, but focus on the stabilization and revitalization of older neighborhoods. These strategies also build community capacity necessary to address housing issues and to increase the supply of affordable, decent and safe housing.

Closing Cost Program

The Settlement Expense Loan Program (SELP) provides assistance to low and moderate income, first-time homebuyers. The County can lend up to $10,000 to income-eligible purchasers to help pay closing costs required in the purchase of an existing home within the designated Community Conservation Areas of Baltimore County.

Assistance from SELP is in the form of a deferred loan that is forgivable if the homeowner occupies the property as their principal residence during the period of affordability as required by the HOME Investment Partnerships Act regulations. The period of affordability is 15 years.

Housing Rehabilitation

Housing rehabilitation loan programs are designed to assist income-eligible homeowners with low cost or no cost loans to correct hazardous conditions, eliminate safety hazards, repair or replace major systems, correct interior and exterior deficiencies, energy improvements, modifications for persons with disabilities and eliminate lead-based paint hazards. Three housing rehabilitation loan programs are available to County residents:

Lead Safe Baltimore County Grant Program

The Lead Safe Baltimore County grant program is designed to reduce lead hazards in homes in the targeted Community Conservation areas through a comprehensive plan of lead hazard reduction, economic development, job training, outreach and education. This program dramatically reduces the risk of lead poisoning in the homes of young children within the targeted communities.

The long-term effects of lead in a child can be severe. They include learning disabilities, decreased growth, hyperactivity, impaired hearing and even brain damage.

LifeBridge Health Live Near Your Work Program

The Live Near Your Work Program is a partnership between LifeBridge Health and Baltimore County designed to encourage homeownership and maintain strong neighborhoods in Baltimore County communities near Northwest and Sinai Hospitals. This program is only available to LifeBridge Health employees. Call LifeBridge Employee Services for more information at 410-601-8000.

Multifamily Development Financing

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) provides only gap financing to assist developers. Developers are strongly advised to pursue all funding sources available and not view Baltimore County as a primary or sole source of project financing. Funding gaps may be filled with a variety of sources, including grants, loans and bonds. Each source requires a repayment schedule that will be mutually agreed upon by the developer and Department of Planning.

The Department will make every effort to assist those development teams that require direction and guidance as it pertains to local, State and Federal regulations. Each development proposal should incorporate any HUD and State requirements.

Our Development Guide provides information that developers need to successfully comply with the County’s requirements for new construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing in Baltimore County.

Explore Housing Opportunities

 

Contact Us

Department of Housing and Community Development

105 West Chesapeake Avenue, Suite 201
Towson, Maryland 21204

Hours

Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Phone

Director

Terry Hickey