A recent story from the City of Baltimore highlights an important truth: the health of a city begins at home. Through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), critical investments are being made to ensure Baltimore residents can live safely, comfortably, and with dignity.

Read the original article from the City of Baltimore: https://www.baltimorecity.gov/morp/news/arpa-insight-stories-the-health-of-a-city-begins-at-home-neighborhood-housing-services-nhs

NHS Baltimore’s Role in Preserving Homeownership

During and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, many Baltimore homeowners faced serious housing challenges such as aging roofs, unsafe stairways, outdated electrical systems, and inaccessible spaces that made daily living difficult.

For seniors and residents with disabilities, these issues weren’t just inconvenient, they were safety risks that threatened their ability to remain in their homes.

Through ARPA funding, Baltimore City invested directly in solutions that help residents stay safely housed and avoid displacement.

NHS Baltimore’s Role in Preserving Homeownership

Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Baltimore received $2.8 million in ARPA funding to support housing stabilization efforts in Greater Rosemont Mondawmin.

This funding has allowed NHS to:

• Address critical health and safety repairs for homeowners
• Stabilize vacant and disinvested properties
• Support long-term housing stability for low- to moderate-income residents

As a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), NHS integrates home repair into a broader strategy. Connecting housing stability with financial empowerment and long-term wealth building.

Real Impact Across Baltimore

The results of this investment are already being felt:

• 99 homeowners received critical repairs
• 68 of those homeowners were age 65 or older
• 70 homeowners received safety modifications through a partnership with Meals on Wheels

These repairs are more than improvements, they are interventions that allow residents to remain safely in their homes and communities.

As Shelby Gash, Director of Resource Development at NHS Baltimore, shared in the article:

“ARPA funding allowed us to respond quickly and at scale to urgent repair needs that many homeowners couldn’t afford to address on their own.”

Why This Work Matters

Baltimore’s housing challenges are deeply rooted. Decades of disinvestment and historic practices like redlining have created long-standing disparities in housing quality, access, and wealth.

Efforts like ARPA-funded home repairs help address these gaps by:

• Preserving legacy homeownership
• Preventing vacancy and neighborhood decline
• Supporting aging residents in place
• Protecting generational wealth

When homeowners can stay in safe, stable housing, entire communities benefit.

Continuing the Work

While ARPA funding has made a significant impact, the need continues to exceed available resources. NHS Baltimore remains committed to expanding this work through new partnerships and funding opportunities; ensuring more residents can access the support they need.

Take the Next Step

If you’re a homeowner in need of repairs or looking to explore your options:

As the national housing market faced rising mortgage costs and sustained affordability pressures, Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore (NHS Baltimore) deepened its commitment to expanding access to homeownership across the city.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the housing market entering late 2024 and continuing into 2025 experienced increased borrowing costs following Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. For many families, these conditions made saving for a home and securing affordable financing significantly more difficult.

In response to these challenges, NHS Baltimore strengthened its support for homebuyers by providing more financing and down payment assistance than in previous years to help bridge growing affordability gaps.

Delivering Deeper Support for Baltimore Homebuyers

While the total number of homebuyers served by NHS declined slightly from 266 in FY24 to 251 in FY25, the level of support provided to each buyer increased substantially.

This shift reflects a broader trend: as housing costs rose and financing became more expensive, families relied more heavily on NHS resources to achieve sustainable homeownership.

Over the past three fiscal years, NHS financing support has steadily increased:

Advancing Equitable Homeownership

NHS Baltimore remains committed to addressing historic barriers to homeownership that have disproportionately affected communities of color.

In FY25:

75.7% of households who became homeowners through NHS services were BIPOC families.

By prioritizing access to responsible lending, financial counseling, and down payment assistance, NHS continues to support families who have historically faced systemic barriers to housing opportunity.

Filling the Affordability Gap

As the housing market became more difficult to navigate, NHS stepped in to fill a greater share of the financing gap for Baltimore homebuyers. 

The sharp increase in both first mortgages and down payment assistance shows that NHS resources became even more essential for families working toward homeownership during a challenging economic environment. 

By expanding financing support and increasing assistance amounts, NHS helped ensure that rising costs did not completely shut the door to homeownership for Baltimore residents. 

Strengthening Communities Through Homeownership 

For more than 50 years, NHS Baltimore has worked alongside residents, lenders, and community partners to expand sustainable homeownership across the city. 

Through HUD-certified homebuyer education, one-on-one counseling, flexible lending products, and down payment assistance, NHS continues to help Baltimore families build stability and invest in their communities. 

Even in a challenging housing market, NHS remains committed to opening pathways to homeownership and ensuring that Baltimore residents have the tools, resources, and support they need to succeed. 

Support the Work Behind Homeownership 

The impact described in this report is made possible through the support of community partners and individual donors. Your contribution helps sustain the education, counseling, and neighborhood reinvestment efforts that make homeownership possible for Baltimore families. 

Ready to Take the First Step Toward Homeownership? 

NHS Baltimore offers homebuyer education, counseling, mortgage products, and down payment assistance programs designed to help Baltimore City residents prepare for homeownership. 

About NHS Baltimore 

Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore (NHS Baltimore) is a community-based nonprofit with more than 50 years of experience supporting sustainable homeownership and housing stability for Baltimore City residents. Through HUD-certified homebuyer education, one-on-one counseling, locally tailored lending, and neighborhood reinvestment, NHS Baltimore provides trusted guidance rooted in real-world housing practice. 

Baltimore, MD (March 1, 2026) — Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore, Inc. (NHS) has been selected by the Maryland Community Investment Corporation (MCIC) to serve as the operator of the State’s Reinvest Baltimore Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Program under the Fiscal Year 2026 Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative (BVRI).

Through this selection, NHS is eligible to receive up to $3 million in grant funding to administer a targeted down payment assistance program designed to increase homeownership opportunities in neighborhoods benefiting from BVRI and UPLIFT redevelopment investments.

Program Overview

The Reinvest Baltimore DPA Program is structured to support qualified homebuyers purchasing properties that are part of BVRI-funded or UPLIFT-funded redevelopment efforts within designated BVRI areas. 

Key program features include: 

• Maximum award of $20,000 per homebuyer 

• Five-year forgivable loan at 0% interest 

• 20% of the principal forgiven annually over five years 

• Borrower must occupy the home as their primary residence 

• Property must be located within a BVRI-funded or UPLIFT-funded project in designated BVRI areas 

• Pre-purchase housing counseling required 

• No household income restrictions 

• Not limited to first-time homebuyers 

• Fixed-rate mortgages only (cash sales and owner financing are not permitted) 

This structure ensures both accessibility and long-term neighborhood stability by incentivizing owner occupancy and sustained investment in revitalized communities. 

Expanding Access to Homeownership 

The $3 million initial award will allow NHS to administer down payment assistance to eligible buyers purchasing redeveloped properties in targeted Baltimore neighborhoods. By eliminating one of the most significant barriers to homeownership, upfront costs, the program strengthens the impact of vacant property reinvestment and helps stabilize communities block by block. 

As the selected program operator, NHS will oversee program implementation, ensure compliance with state guidelines, and provide required housing counseling to participating homebuyers. 

About NHS Baltimore 

Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore (NHS Baltimore) is a community-based nonprofit with more than 50 years of experience supporting sustainable homeownership and housing stability for Baltimore City residents. Through HUD-certified homebuyer education, one-on-one counseling, locally tailored lending, and neighborhood reinvestment, NHS Baltimore provides trusted guidance rooted in real-world housing practice. 

Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore (NHS Baltimore) is proud to announce its selection as a Fiscal Year 2026 Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative (BVRI) awardee — an important step forward in accelerating neighborhood revitalization and expanding homeownership opportunities across Baltimore City.

What is BVRI?

The Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative is a statewide effort designed to eliminate vacant properties, strengthen neighborhoods, and increase access to homeownership. Through a funding grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to the Maryland Community Investment Corporation (MCIC), grants and loans are issued directly to organizations working to acquire, rehabilitate, and return vacant properties to productive use.

MCIC, established by state legislation in 2024 as Maryland’s first state-sponsored Community Development Entity, administers these funds and supports partners focused on fostering growth and opportunity across underserved communities.

What This Means for Baltimore Neighborhoods

Selection for BVRI provides NHS Baltimore access to a $30 million statewide funding pool, allowing funding to be drawn as redevelopment milestones are completed. This performance-based structure ensures that resources continue flowing to projects that successfully transform vacant properties into quality homes.

BVRI funding will support NHS Baltimore’s work to:

• Acquire and rehabilitate vacant properties

• Restore homes that currently carry vacant building notices

• Expand affordable homeownership opportunities

• Strengthen neighborhood stability through long-term reinvestment

Initial redevelopment activity will focus on homes located in the Robert Coleman community, where vacant structures present opportunities to restore housing, strengthen blocks, and create new pathways to homeownership.

Collaboration for Long-Term Community Impact

As a BVRI awardee, NHS Baltimore will also participate in a statewide community development cohort facilitated by MCIC. This cohort provides a collaborative space for partners to share strategies, discuss implementation challenges, and help shape policies that advance vacant property elimination and neighborhood reinvestment across Maryland.

Building Stronger Communities, One Home at a Time

Participation in the BVRI initiative strengthens NHS Baltimore’s ability to revitalize neighborhoods, return vacant properties to productive use, and help more families achieve stable homeownership. As redevelopment work progresses, NHS Baltimore will continue to share updates on BVRI-supported projects and new homeownership opportunities connected to these revitalized homes.

Ready to become a homeowner in Baltimore?
Our HUD-approved counselors and homebuyer education programs can help you prepare, understand your options, and take the next step with confidence.

A major investment is creating new opportunities for Baltimore residents to buy, repair, and stay in their homes.

Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Baltimore has been awarded $2.8 million through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This is part of more than $15.8 million distributed to nonprofits across Baltimore City to support housing and community development.

Turning Investment Into Opportunity

This funding will directly support NHS Baltimore’s work in Greater Rosemont Mondawmin, where access to quality housing and resources is critical to neighborhood stability.

With this investment, NHS will:

• Transform vacant and disinvested properties into affordable homeownership opportunities
• Provide essential home repairs and safety upgrades for longtime homeowners
• Help bring properties back to life while keeping residents safely in their homes

From Vacant to Vibrant

Every restored home represents more than construction; it’s a renewed opportunity for a family, a stronger block, and a more stable community.

For future homebuyers, this means access to newly developed homes in neighborhoods that are actively being reinvested in.

For current homeowners, it means the ability to make critical repairs that protect what they’ve worked hard to build.

A Continued Commitment to Baltimore

At NHS Baltimore, we believe everyone deserves access to safe, stable housing. Through education, resources, and strategic investment, we help residents take the next step. Whether that’s buying their first home or maintaining the one they already have.

This funding allows us to deepen that impact and reach even more families across Baltimore.

Take the Next Step Toward Homeownership or Home Repair

Whether you’re ready to purchase a home or need support fixing up your current one, NHS Baltimore has programs designed to help you move forward with confidence.