Baltimore City housing program helped nearly 1,700 low-income families find new homes in 2022
BALTIMORE - The Housing Authority of Baltimore City said it helped nearly 1,700 residents find new homes this year through the Housing Choice Voucher Program. That's a 30 percent increase from 2021, according to Baltimore City.
There are more than 13,000 residents currently enrolled in the HCVP, a program that helps Baltimore's low-income families offset the cost of rent for affordable, safe housing.
According to the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, in October, HABC started offering a $1,500 sign-on bonus to property owners who become landlords through HCVP and provide new affordable units. Since the initiative launched, 70 new landlords qualified to receive this incentive and have been provided new housing units.
"We continue to explore every opportunity that can provide more affordable housing options for families in need," said HABC President and CEO Janet Abrahams. "We recognize there is a housing shortage and a great need for affordable housing. Just as important, we need quality landlords who are invested in Baltimore communities to participate in this program."
While new admissions are up from the 1,303 recorded last year, there are still more than 1,800 voucher holders searching for a home to live in.
"Although we have hundreds of landlords already in our program, we still have a lot of work ahead of us to create affordable housing opportunities for everyone in need of a home," Abrahams said. "We have put forth many programs and initiatives over the last year to help provide quality housing and keep the city informed of our progress. And we will intensify those efforts in 2023."
HABC has launched a new, web-based Strategic Plan Dashboard that allows residents and other stakeholders to track HABC's progress in its 10-year strategic plan.
"The Strategic Plan Dashboard is a testament to our commitment to move forward with the wide-ranging goals of the Strategic Plan, and to be fully transparent about how we're doing," said Abrahams. "Through this Dashboard, families, landlords, advocates, elected officials and other stakeholders can quickly gauge our progress toward these important efforts to preserve and expand affordable housing in Baltimore."
As of the end of 2022, 104 new units have been completed and 367 are under construction as part of the PSO Plan.
"Working together, we can help provide quality housing opportunities to qualified families in Baltimore City," said Abrahams.
