The scene inside City Hall Monday represented a dream come true for the dozens of advocates pressed shoulder-to-shoulder listening as members of the City Council made clear their commitment to invest tens of millions of dollars into a fund to support affordable housing in the city.

City Councilman John Bullock (District 9) and City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young introduced legislation Monday to create a dedicated funding stream for the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The legislation is supported unanimously by the City Council.

The Trust Fund was created in 2016 through a ballot initiative that was supported by 83 percent of voters in Baltimore City. The ballot initiative was spearheaded by Housing for All: Baltimore, a coalition of community-based nonprofits, community groups and advocates. The goal of the Trust Fund is to address Baltimore’s affordable housing crisis by helping families who earn 50 percent of area median income or below.

 “The City Council is positioned to invest in affordable housing in a profound way with the introduction of this piece of legislation,” Council President Young said. “Providing residents with affordable housing opportunities would have an extremely positive impact on our city and helps to clear the path to a better, more sustainable life for all families.”

“The Affordable Housing Trust Fund is clearly a priority for Baltimore neighborhoods as demonstrated by the overwhelming support for the ballot initiative,” Councilman Bullock said. “This proposed legislation would provide a dedicated revenue stream for the currently under-resourced fund through a modest increase in the transfer and recordation tax for non-owner-occupied properties. This increase would also bring Baltimore’s rate closer to that of similar cities such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.”

The Fund the Trust Act raises the recordation tax from $5 for each $500 of the property conveyed to $7 for each $500. It also adds an additional 0.6 percent to the transfer tax, which is currently 1.5 percent. These changes amount to an additional 1 percent surcharge. Including the 0.5 percent surcharge charged by the state of Maryland, Baltimore’s transfer and recordation fee would increase from 3 percent to 4 percent.

The new surcharge applies to sales and other transfers of non-owner-occupied properties, including residential and commercial transactions. The increased fees would not apply to sales to people who intend to live in the home as their primary residence.

Approximately $20 million would be generated annually for the Trust Fund through the new surcharge. That $20 million could generate 1,000 new jobs and 400 new homes each year, according to estimates from the Community Development Clinic at the University Of Baltimore School Of Law.

According to a study from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, nearly half of renters in the Baltimore area struggle to afford the cost of housing, paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent. And, about one in four renters is considered severely cost-burdened, spending more than 50 percent of their income on rent. In Baltimore City, where nearly 25 percent of residents live below federal poverty line, earning less than $20,090 per year, average rent costs more than $1,200 per month.

“There isn’t enough decent, affordable housing in this city,” said Destiny Watford, a community leader who works with the Greater Baybrook Community Land Trust. Community land trusts are nonprofit organizations that give community members stewardship of land. Uses include everything from community gardens to rental housing and affordable homeownership opportunities. “We need to invest in communities that have often been forgotten about. And, we need to include the community in the decision making about those investments.”

“Community members have a vision for how to improve their neighborhoods, but it is hard for them to access resources,” said Matt Hill, an attorney at the Public Justice Center, one of the members of the Housing for All: Baltimore Coalition. “Smaller projects are often left out of the tax and zoning breaks that benefit larger developments. The Fund the Trust Act would direct critical investment to affordable housing and community development projects that residents want to see in their neighborhoods.”

The Trust Fund will be managed by a community-based board, in partnership with Baltimore’s Department of Housing and Community Development. Once funded, the Trust Fund will be able to provide operating and capital funding to develop affordable housing for renters and homebuyers, provide housing-related services, and work on innovative strategies such as land trusts and voucher programs.

For more information on Councilman Bullock and President Young’s legislation, please visit https://bit.ly/2qEmU4j

Upcoming Fiscal Year 2019 City Council Budget Hearings 

One of my favorite sayings notes that “you can learn a lot about what an institution or person values by inspecting their budgets.”

If I reviewed your budget, and found that you spend $5 daily at the local Starbucks, I could reasonably conclude that you value coffee.

The same would hold true if your budget revealed a weekly allowance for visits to the salon. In that scenario it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that you practiced good grooming habits.

Beginning in late May, the citizens of Baltimore will have the chance to lift the hood and inspect the inner workings of our municipal budget.

With a total budget of nearly $4 billion, Baltimore’s Fiscal Year 2019 proposal lays the blueprint for continued investments in public education, transportation, health, sanitation, and myriad other core functions of local government. 

The Baltimore City Council's Budget and Appropriations Committee will be holding Taxpayer's Night for the FY2019 budget on Thursday, May 17, starting at 5:30 pm, at City Hall. This will be an opportunity for citizens to hear a brief presentation from the Department of FInance and City Schools, and then provide comments and feedback to the City Council. Taxpayer's Night will be streamed live on CharmTV at www.CharmTV.tv and will also be aired on Comcast Channel 25.

individual agency hearings will take place May 29 – June 1.

For more information and a complete list of dates related to the Council’s oversight of the budget process, please visit Baltimore.legistar.com

Out and About in Baltimore

City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young speaks at press conference highlighting the introduction of legislation to create a dedicated funding stream for the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

The legislation would create a dedicated funding source for affordable housing and community-based development

City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young meets with Executive Director, Cassie Motz (left) and students from the CollegeBound Scholar Program.

CollegeBound works exclusively in Baltimore City public schools to encourage and enable students to pursue a postsecondary education.

Coming up in Baltimore

FRESH at the Avenue
Every Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Avenue Market, 1700 Pennsylvania Ave
Proudly selling produce grown in 21217. Featuring produce from local farms. Quality prices!

High School Graduate Job Fair
Wednesday, May 9 at 10 AM to 2 PM​
Baltimore War Memorial Buildaing, 101 N Gay Street
Attention Baltimore City High School Students!!! If you're a graduating senior looking for a job, this event is for you. Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Employment Development is hosting a FREE High School Graduate Job Fair on Wednesday, May 9th at 10:00 am. 
Meet with hiring managers, training providers and military recruiters

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake
Volunteers Needed!
www.biglittle.org/volunteer
Becoming a mentor is easy. Mentoring is about real relationships that help young people overcome obstacles and thrive. From education to extracurricular activities to community engagement, young people benefit from mentoring. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake Community One-to-One Mentoring Program connects young people with caring adult mentors. Matches are provided with professional supports, inclusive of a case manager, and monthly low to no cost activities. We ask that volunteers commit to mentoring a child for a minimum of one year and to plan two to three match activities per month. To apply contact Leticia Sharp at 410-243-4000 or visit www.biglittle.org/volunteer to complete an online application . Visit Big Brothers Big Sisters on Facebook: BBBSGreaterChesapeake, Twitter: @bbbsgc and instagram: bbbsgc.
 

Online Homebuyer Education Course
24 hours a day/7days a week
www.ehomeamerica.org/
Looking to buy a home? Don't just take your best shot, make it a slam dunk! eHome America can help make your homebuying experience a winning experience! Learn what you need to know about the homebuying process, on your own schedule, from any computer. The cost is low, but the information is invaluable. Visit us at www.ehomeamerica.org/ for more information, or to register online. Information courtesy of Steven C. Kinney of the GO Northwest Housing Resource Center on 2300 Garrison Blvd., Suite 140. For more information e-mail skinney@go-northwesthrc.org or call 410-947-0084.
 

GO Northwest HRC Free Foreclosure and Prevention Counseling
Wednesdays, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM by appointment only
2300 Garrison Boulevard, Suite 140
This workshop is for individuals who are behind on their mortgage and/or facing foreclosure. Free workshop and free parking! Appointment is required. Call 410-947-0084 x104 for more information.
 

Adult Education Classes in Baltimore City
Locations throughout Baltimore City
The Baltimore City Community College and the Housing Authority of Baltimore City will offer Basic Skills (Pre GED) Classes at the following locations: Eager Street Homes, 709 E. Eager Street; Gilmor Homes, 1515 Vincent Court; O'Donnell Heights, 1200 Gusryan Street; Pleasant View Homes, 201 N. Aisquith Street; Westport Homes, 2343 Norfolk Street; Brooklyn Homes, 4140 Tenth Street. You must be at least 17 years of age to enroll. For more information call 410-396-3212.