What are Middle Neighborhoods?

Middle neighborhoods are stable and diverse communities, forming the backbone of our City. Based on the Baltimore Housing Market Typology, these areas are neither exceedingly affluent nor distressed, and have many assets but are vulnerable. They have high, but declining rates of homeownership, are more racially diverse, and have older residents. Middle neighborhood residents make up the majority of Baltimore City’s total population (57%). Middle neighborhoods therefore play a crucial role in maintaining urban stability and community well-being.

What is Baltimore City's Middle Neighborhood Strategy?

In 2019, coordination began among agencies including the Mayor's Office, DOP, DHCD, Live Baltimore, and many other stakeholders on a Middle Neighborhoods strategy and investment approach geared towards stabilizing and growing our middle neighborhoods in hopes of strengthening housing markets and improving quality of life for middle neighborhood residents. Making investments in capital and capacity in order to stabilize legacy Baltimore residents while attracting more Black middle-income and immigrant families is vital. Baltimore City has developed a Middle Neighborhood Strategy Implementation Plan that includes strategies and resources for homeowners, homebuyers, renters, communities and businesses to support the Mayor’s Action Plan Pillar of Equitable Neighborhood Development.

What are Current Middle Neighborhood Investments?

Announced as part of the $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding committedtowards housing initiatives, the City is committing $9.7 million in ARPA-funded Middle Neighborhood investments including: 

Wealth Building Home Repair Grants for Legacy Residents ($4 million): Offering up to $30,000 for home repairs to legacy homeowners who have resided in their homes for 15 or more years, and up to $10,000 for any homeowner for exterior improvements.  

Check the eligibility of your neighborhood in Middle Neighborhood Focus Areas here.

Apply online or complete a pre-application and send it to:

LIGHT Intake & Assessment Unit
417 East Fayette Street, Suite 1125
Baltimore, MD 21202

If you have any questions, please contact us at (410) 396-3023

Middle Neighborhood Developer Incentive Program ($1.29 million): Targeted development incentives aimed at providing funding for organizations, non-profits, and single-family primary homeowners who are in the process  of completing extensive renovation of formerly vacant homes in Middle Neighborhoods. The Developer Incentive Program will provide up to $50,000 for total development costs for each eligible project.

Check the eligibility of your neighborhood in Middle Neighborhood Focus Areas here.

Apply for the Middle Neighborhood Developer Incentive Program here. 

Buy Back the Block Down Payment Assistance ($3.4 million): Facilitated by Live Baltimore, the Buy Back the Block program provides grants to Baltimore City residents who purchase homes in the areas where they currently rent. These grants do not have to be repaid. The $10,000 home purchase grant reduces the amount of money you will need up front to buy a home. The $20,000 home purchase & renovation grant reduces the amount of money you will need up front to buy and renovate a home.

View the neighborhoods eligible for the Buy Back the Block Program here.

Take the eligibility quiz here. 

Chadras Coples, Live Baltimore
(410) 637-3750 x 118
Email

Community Organizing Support ($1.325 million*): Healthy Neighborhoods Inc. (HNI)  is leading the community engagement component of the Middle Neighborhoods strategy including deploying organizers in target middle neighborhoods to promote the availability of city resources and build the capacity  of communities and Middle Neighborhood residents through training, housing counseling, and block projects. All of these efforts serve to market middle neighborhoods and strengthen the fabric within middle neighborhoods. *Casino Local Impact Funds ($325k) are supporting HNI's work in Lakeland/Cherry Hill in South Baltimore.

In addition to the ARPA investments, Baltimore City is leveraging its partnership with HNI to expand its resources such as HNI Below Market Mortgages and HNI Matching Grants for Middle Neighborhood Focus Areas for a coordinated middle neighborhoods strategy.