For Immediate Release
Date: Dec. 19, 2024

PRESS RELEASE

Housing Authority Provides Housing Vouchers for 2,000 More Families in 2024

End of year stats show improving housing voucher program led to 12% increase over last five years

BALTIMORE — As part of the Housing Authority of Baltimore’s (HABC) efforts to help individuals and families access affordable housing, the agency today announced its Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) served 19,395 households in 2024, marking a 12% increase over the last five years.

HABC has taken several actions over the last few years to ensure more Baltimoreans have access to quality housing through increasing the number of households that received housing vouchers this year. Because of the agency’s dedicated effort, more than 2,000 additional families have a place to call home compared to numbers served in 2020. These measures have included creating landlord leasing incentives, increasing the number of vouchers for homeless programs, creating a new electronic walk-in registration system, and opening the waiting list to help those most in need to find housing through landlords that accept the vouchers.

“We transformed what was an inefficient system years ago and turned it into a streamlined process that has allowed us to serve more households every year,” said Janet Abrahams, HABC’s President and CEO. “The results have exceeded our expectations, and we are playing a critical role to tackle the housing shortage in Baltimore.”

As the number of households served has increased almost every year since 2020, the total number of new admission vouchers issued has increased by more than 75% during this time. In 2024, there were 1,546 new admissions compared to 872 in 2020.

“We have remained steadfast with our commitment to provide quality housing opportunities, even when we faced many unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Abrahams.

Along with increasing households served through HCVP, HABC assisted 16 first-time homebuyers by connecting them to eligible resources which helped them obtain more than $580,000 in closing cost assistance in 2024. Since 2018, 67 first-time homebuyers obtained almost $2 million in closing cost assistance through HABC’s assistance.

“We dedicate resources to every possible opportunity that can help families who have completed the approvals to acquire a place that they are proud to call home,” said Abrahams. “Not only are we

helping families purchase their homes, but we’re providing a pathway to financial stability by owning an asset and the equity.”

In addition to increasing access to housing, HABC prioritized public safety through its implementation of several public safety measures in 2024 across its various communities. These initiatives included increasing video camera installations, utilizing two-way radios with local law enforcement, analyzing crime data trends in neighborhoods around HABC sites, installing traffic improvements, and updating the authority’s emergency preparedness and response plan

Learn more about HABC’s program, initiatives and accomplishments at habc.org

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About HABC

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) was established in 1937 to provide federally funded public housing programs and related services for Baltimore’s low-income residents. HABC is the fifth largest public housing authority in the U.S., providing quality affordable housing for more than 23,000 households. The agency creates diverse and vibrant communities, provides opportunities for self-sufficiency, and builds pathways for strong partnerships.