The first round of applications for citywide Affordable Housing TIF Funds are opening Sept. 19, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced.
Tax Increment Funding (TIF) is a public financing tool that encourages development and redevelopment in economically disadvantaged areas, and Scott aims to use the funds to support redevelopment of vacant properties in Baltimore City. The applications and program guidelines will be available on the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) website.
“My administration is taking on a challenge that’s been ignored for generations – vacant housing – delivering $3 billion to end this crisis for good within 15 years,” Scott said in a statement. “This is a critical component of solving this challenge. Using these funds in our neighborhoods that have been disinvested in for decades will increase homeownership while preserving communities. It will take all of us working together to get there.”
The citywide Affordable Housing TIF is one of the first non-contiguous TIF Districts in the country. It is also one of the first to direct funds into the local economy by giving them to small and new developers, community development partners, and individuals who are fighting vacancies in the city.
The application period officially opens on Sept. 19, but there will be virtual information sessions about the program held before that. The sessions will explain how the program works, who can apply, and how the funds will help reduce vacant properties within the city’s Affordable Housing TIF District.
The virtual information sessions take place on Monday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m., and Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m. Participants can register at this link. These sessions will be useful for developers, community-based organizations, legacy residents, property owners within the TIF District, and stakeholders interested in neighborhood revitalization.
The Affordable Housing TIF Program provides up to $150 million in bond proceeds over multiple application rounds. This money helps neighborhood-based, block-level redevelopment in Baltimore’s historically disinvested communities. The first round supports redevelopment of vacant buildings to be turned into residences. The funds will be considered grants which will not have to be paid back.
“This is a clear pathway to stabilize neighborhoods, improve housing options, and grow local wealth through homeownership and job-creating development,” said Baltimore City Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy in a statement. “This strategic, city-led investment, is aimed at transforming vacant properties into vibrant homes and communities.”
“Bringing potentially hundreds of vacant properties back into productive use will provide much needed revenue by increasing the City’s tax base,” said Michael Mocksten, director of the Department of Finance, in a statement. “More importantly, our residents will benefit from the generational wealth that we anticipate will be created from increased housing values.”
Visit the DHCD website for more information on the first round of Affordable Housing TIF Funds.
Unable to register for the session Sept. 15.2025 at 1pm.