Baltimore Reduces Vacant Homes Through Affordable Housing TIF Bonds

Mayor credits TIF funding as catalyst for progress in neighborhoods like Park Heights and Johnston Square.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 2:31pm

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Baltimore City has made significant progress in reducing the number of vacant homes, dropping from 16,000 to just over 11,800 in recent years. Mayor Brandon Scott credited the city's Affordable Housing TIF Bond program as a key driver of this progress, providing gap funding to developers to renovate and sell vacant homes at affordable prices. Neighborhoods like Park Heights and Johnston Square have seen visible transformation, with developers like Rebirth Development and ReBUILD Metro utilizing the TIF funds to breathe new life into previously blighted areas.

Why it matters

Baltimore's vacant home crisis has been a longstanding issue, contributing to blight, crime, and a lack of affordable housing options. The city's efforts to address this problem through innovative financing tools like TIF bonds demonstrate a commitment to revitalizing neighborhoods, creating homeownership opportunities, and improving the overall quality of life for residents.

The details

The Affordable Housing TIF Bond program allows the city to borrow money upfront using bonds and repay the debt through the future increase in property tax revenue where the new development occurs. This gap funding has enabled developers to renovate and sell vacant homes at prices that families can afford. In Park Heights, Rebirth Development has already renovated homes on Loyola Northway and is now working on 23 more vacant homes in the area. In Johnston Square, ReBUILD Metro Inc. has utilized the TIF funds to redevelop vacant homes and sell them to families at prices they can afford.

  • In the past few years, the number of vacant homes in Baltimore has dropped from 16,000 to just over 11,800.
  • Mayor Brandon Scott announced the progress during his State of the City address on Tuesday, April 2, 2026.

The players

Mayor Brandon Scott

The mayor of Baltimore who announced the progress in reducing the number of vacant homes in the city.

Yolanda Jiggetts

The CEO of Park Heights Renaissance, a group working with developers to transform vacant homes in the Park Heights neighborhood.

Rebirth Development

A developer that has used the city's Affordable Housing TIF Bond program to renovate and sell vacant homes in the Park Heights neighborhood.

Regina Hammond

The executive director and founder of the Rebuild Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization, who has been working to eliminate vacant homes in the Johnston Square neighborhood for over 40 years.

Sean Closkey

The president of ReBUILD Metro Inc., a recipient of the city's TIF funds that has supported the redevelopment of vacant homes in the Johnston Square neighborhood.

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What they’re saying

“There was probably about 80-85% vacancies, long-term vacancy, trees growing out of properties, major blight in this block.”

— Yolanda Jiggetts, CEO of Park Heights Renaissance

“It's just gap funding. The actual construction cost to buy a house like this and gut it out (and) renovate it costs more than what you can afford to sell it for, so it covers the difference. It allows you to sell it at an affordable price.”

— Shawn, Rebirth Development

“Those projects mean more than affordable housing projects. They mean more opportunity for those who are looking to buy homes.”

— Mayor Brandon Scott

“When you get it right is when all of those players are at the table and that includes residents, the government and developers working together and that's the key for us.”

— Yolanda Jiggetts, CEO of Park Heights Renaissance

“To see what we've been able to accomplish together as a community in partnership is nothing short of amazing.”

— Regina Hammond, Executive Director and Founder, Rebuild Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization

What’s next

The city plans to continue investing in the Affordable Housing TIF Bond program to support the redevelopment of vacant homes in other neighborhoods across Baltimore.

The takeaway

Baltimore's innovative use of TIF bonds to finance the renovation and sale of vacant homes has proven to be an effective strategy for revitalizing neighborhoods, creating affordable homeownership opportunities, and addressing the city's long-standing vacant home crisis. This collaborative approach between the city, developers, and community organizations serves as a model for other cities facing similar challenges.