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Housing

    The inside of an abandoned residential property that has been repeatedly used by squatters in Essex. The Baltimore County Council has passed a measure that would allow the county to tax vacant structures.
    Baltimore County to wield new tool in effort to target vacant structures: A tax.
    The Baltimore County Council passed legislation to tax vacant structures and direct the revenue to funds that help find housing and fix up vacant buildings.
    There is a rotating homeless encampment in Wyman Park Dell, most live in makeshift tents.
    Baltimore approved to recoup $6 million in federal homelessness funds
    The city appealed to the federal housing agency earlier this year to get back part of that lost funding.
    Whether the Democrats’ new fervor will translate into policy changes and more housing is less certain, as Gov. Wes Moore and others who have tried already know.
    The pro-housing movement is having a moment. The YIMBY crowd is cheering.
    Whether the Democrats’ new fervor will translate into policy changes and more housing is less certain, as Gov. Wes Moore and others who have tried already know.
    Photo collage of Baltimore row house in front of stack of hundred dollar bills and blurry image of Baltimore City hall in far background.
    A Baltimore employee was caught in a bribery scheme. Were more involved?
    Does the “girl” in “water” still work for the Baltimore City Department of Public Works? City officials aren’t saying.
    Neighborhood children enjoy a playground at Dutch Village apartments in Northeast Baltimore.
    A New York investor came to town. His next moves could threaten a Baltimore school
    As many as 120 Yorkwood Elementary School students could be pushed out of their community, with devastating consequences to their school.

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    Two sisters, Stephanie and Maribeth Kalinich, fell behind on the taxes of their Arnold home after their mother passed away, then sold their $400,000 home to an acquaintance. He said they could stay as long as they paid rent. But he never paid them the agreed-upon price, and when they fell behind on rent, he moved to evict them.
    Two sisters turned to a friend to avoid a tax sale. Now they face eviction.
    When Stephanie and Mary Kalinich faced a tax sale on their Arnold home, the sisters sold it to a friend with a real estate background, thinking they would be allowed to stay. Now they are facing eviction and have no place to go.
    Kevin McDonough, left, and Leah Biddinger speak with neighbors who dislike living next to an abandoned house on Margaret Avenue.
    ‘Code enforcement odd couple’ take on Baltimore County building violations
    Two East Side community activists, Leah Biddinger and Kevin McDonough, work together to identify potential code violations in their community and alert Baltimore County officials.
    Abel Woman Municipal Building on East Lexington Street
    Former city employee admits to accepting bribes to remove water bills, property taxes
    Joseph Gillespie admitted to taking more than $250,000 in bribes that caused the city to lose out on more than $1 million in tax revenue.
    High-quality counseling is key to helping voucher households move to high-opportunity locations.
    Housing vouchers help most when counselors are on hand, report says
    Sometimes referred to as housing navigators or counselors, they take on a range of tasks, including providing hands-on support to households as they browse housing options and make contact with landlords.
    Angela Coleman, president and founder of Sisterhood Agenda, poses for a portrait on the property she aims to transform into housing in Middle River, Maryland, on Aug. 22, 2024.
    HUD investigating Baltimore County housing discrimination complaint
    Angela D. Coleman wants to build eco-friendly duplexes at affordable prices for renters. She planned 22 units for a development in Middle River.

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    Views of downtown Cumberland on Aug. 7, 2024.
    Cumberland wants to pay you $20,000 to move to the mountains
    Cumberland is offering $10,000 in relocation fees and up to a $10,000 match for a down payment or renovations on a home in the city limits as part of a push to attract residents.
    Victor’s son happily plays in the spacious dining room of their new home.
    Flaws in Baltimore’s rental license system are putting renters at risk
    Housing advocates say the success of Baltimore’s rental license system has been limited by complaint-dependent enforcement, loopholes that enable negligence, and insufficient awareness by both tenants and landlords.
    Max and Jessie Green walk their neighborhood in Cumberland on Aug. 6.
    Cumberland’s comeback: How remote work is reviving this Western Maryland mountain town
    Cumberland, like other small cities in Maryland, has experienced a post-pandemic revival thanks to an influx of residents who work remotely. The Western Maryland mountain town is shoring up its historic downtown.
    Council member Zeke Cohen speaks in Baltimore alongside a coalition of renters demanding strengthened accountability for the city’s most frequently cited and hazardous multifamily dwellings on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
    Cohen’s ‘anti-slumlord’ bill moves forward in Baltimore City Council
    After rounds of negotiations, council members praised the new direction of the pro-renters bill.
    Here’s what Marylanders need to know about the changes to the real estate industry tied to a settlement agreement with the National Association of Realtors.
    Maryland guide to negotiating as real estate rules change
    Here’s what Marylanders need to know about the changes to the real estate industry tied to a settlement agreement with the National Association of Realtors.

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    A digital rendering of a large green field with buildings on three sides.
    County developer modifies previous plan to add new apartments on contentious Lutherville land
    The new proposal for transit-oriented development next to the Lutherville light rail stop calls for even more apartments than before.
    Baltimore is pushing forward on an ambitious, and politically challenging, plan to tackle the city’s vacant property problem at scale.
    Housing dream or budget nightmare? Inside Mayor Scott’s $3B plan to fix Baltimore’s vacants
    So far the reception from state leaders has been lukewarm and city budget officials have also pushed back, according to emails and other communications obtained in a public records request.
    Damien Haussling is pictured with the Baltimore Furniture Bank truck while delivering mattresses and bedding to immigrant families in Highlandtown on May 16, 2024.
    The Baltimore Furniture Bank was his dream. He died after making it reality.
    Damien Haussling co-founded the nonprofit after experiencing homelessness himself.
    The fate of the Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church nursery is uncertain after the sudden death of a developer planning to purchase the historic church.
    Parents scramble after a developer’s death shutters a Mount Vernon day care
    A developer’s unexpected death has led to the abrupt closure of a day care tucked inside a historic Mount Vernon church, leaving parents scrambling to find alternative childcare with just days’ notice.