With Board of Estimates Approval, Policy Will Impact Owner-Occupied Homes Valued Up to $250,000

BALTIMORE, MD. (Tuesday, May 9, 2023) - Mayor Brandon M. Scott will announce the removal of owner-occupied homes valued at up to $250,000 from the city's tax sale list following approval from the Board of Estimates during their Wednesday, May 10, 2023 meeting.

This announcement builds on a series of steps the Scott Administration is taking to keep more Baltimoreans housed while ensuring economic security for city residents.

Last year, Mayor Scott announced the city's Annual Tax Sale would be postponed to June 2023 to allow more homeowners to pay off existing liens on their properties and he directed the Department of Finance to remove all owner-occupied properties from the sale.

Mayor Scott also created a Tax Sale Work Group comprised of housing advocates, legal aid professionals, and tax sale experts focused on comprehensively reforming the tax sale process. The work group seeks to identify current gaps in the system and finds solutions to make the process more equitable. The group also works with state legislators to get Baltimore City more local authority over the process and advise on technological updates that would allow for payment plans.

Recently, Mayor Scott announced additional policies aimed at advancing economic security in Baltimore, including launching a middle neighborhoods strategy to boost Black homeownership and the largest-ever investment in equitable development with $100 million dollars towards addressing blight throughout Baltimore's communities.