Buy Back the Block

The Buy Back the Block program provides grants to Baltimore City residents who live and purchase within the grant-eligible Baltimore City area.

The $15,000 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. These grants do not have to be repaid!

Currently, all Buy Back the Block funds have been committed. Live Baltimore is actively seeking additional funding for this program. In the meantime, if you are interested, please complete the eligibility quiz below. We will email you if and when this program resumes in the future.

You may be eligible for either grant if you meet the following criteria.

• You currently live in the grant-eligible area and have lived there for at least one year.
• You are interested in purchasing and living in a home in the grant-eligible area.
• Your total household income is below $132,000 or 120% AMI, whichever is greater.
• You do not currently own any real estate.
• You are willing to complete homeownership counseling before making an offer on a home.
• You are willing to work with a program-approved mortgage lender to obtain a fixed-rate mortgage.
• You will be able to contribute at least $1,000 of your own funds to a home purchase.

Are you interested in applying to the Buy Back the Block program? Follow the steps below to get started.

Step 1: Type your address into the map tool below using the search field.

Please note that grant-eligible addresses will show up as green. Click here to watch a 30-second video on how to use and read the map results.

Step 2: Fill out the eligibility quiz.

Additional Resources 

Buy Back the Block Informational Flier

Eligible Baltimore City Area Map

Buy Back the Block Application Process & FAQ

Approved Buy Back the Block Mortgage Lenders 

Program Terms & Conditions 

Homeownership Counseling 

Have more questions about Buy Back the Block?

We’re here to help. Send us an email or call 410-637-3750 for one-on-one assistance.

The Buy Back the Block Program is an ARPA-funded project. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided $641 million to the City of Baltimore in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its negative economic impacts. Mayor Brandon M. Scott has established the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs to transparently and effectively administer this funding on behalf of the City. For additional information, visit the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs website.

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