Buy Back the Block Recipients

Thanks to the launch of Live Baltimore’s Buy Back the Block program, Baltimore renters are becoming homeowners in the neighborhood areas that they love!

Buy Back the Block is an ARPA-funded anit-displacement program that provides eligible renters a $10,000 home purchase grant or a $20,000 home purchase and renovation grant to buy a home in their current neighborhood area. These grants do not need to be repaid!

See the stories from Buy Back the Block grant recipients below and learn more about the Buy Back the Block program here.

First-Time Homeowner: Shannon Clifton

Shannon Clifton began the journey to generational wealth for her family after receiving the $5,000 Buying Into Baltimore incentive and the $10,000 Buy Back the Block home purchase grant. Learn more about how she became a first-time and first-generation homebuyer without leaving her beloved Edmondson Village area.

Keeping it in the Family: Leslie Neal

Leslie Neal had been renting a family home in the York Road area from her nephew when she decided to take a step toward homeownership. However, she had doubts about whether she could make it happen. Once Leslie found out she was eligible for the Buy Back the Block program, she not only decided to purchase but also to make some renovations to the home that had been in her family for decades. With $20,000 in grant funds, she’s well on her way to creating her dream home!

Turning Goals into Reality: Kiara McCall

After residing in the Belair-Edison area and renting for seven years, Kiara McCall aimed to achieve her dream of becoming a first-time homeowner. Encouraged by the thought that if she could pay rent to someone else, she could also pay a mortgage, Kiara found support through the Buy Back the Block program, receiving $10,000. Additionally, she was awarded $5,000 as a Buying Into Baltimore lottery recipient from Trolley Tour, $10,000 from the Vacants to Value program, and $5,000 from her lender, totaling $30,000 of closing cost incentive money! With the unwavering support of her family, Kiara transformed her aspiration into reality in less than two years.

If you’re looking to achieve your homeownership goals, the Buy Back the Block program may be able to help.

A Home of Her Own: Deneane Carter

Deneane Carter rented a home for 17 years. Tired of renting, she wanted to have a place of her own to raise her three boys comfortably. After renting a home in the Belair-Edison area for over a year, she learned about the Buy Back the Block program and decided to pursue homeownership.

Deneane received $10,000 from the Buy Back the Block program. Additionally, as a participant in the Housing Authority of Baltimore City’s Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program, she is only responsible for paying the difference between her monthly mortgage payment and the amount subsidized by the program. This has made homeownership not only possible but also affordable.

Now Deneane has her own home and a legacy of homeownership to pass down to her children.

From Tenant to Homeowner: Brenda Mayers

Lifelong Baltimore resident Brenda Mayers had rented a home in the Panway/Braddish Avenue neighborhood for over 10 years. Brenda wrestled with the idea of purchasing after finding out that her landlord would be happy to sell her the property, especially as an older adult. Unsure of the process and questioning if she could do it, Brenda leaned on the support of Live Baltimore, her lender, and her real estate agent as guides.

As a renter in an eligible area, Brenda received $10,000 from the Buy Back the Block program. Additionally, she was awarded $5,000 through Live Baltimore’s Trolley Tour and over $7,000 from her lender—totaling over $22,000 of assistance! Brenda can now call the home she rented for years her own!

Have more questions about Buy Back the Block?

Visit the Buy Back the Block program page to watch a video on how the program works, view resources, and take the eligibility quiz to learn if you’re eligible for up to $20,000 in grant money.

Visit the Buy Back the Block page

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.