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.