In this subtitle, the following terms have the meanings indicated. “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Housing and Community Development or the Commissioner’s designee. “Developer” means any person, firm, partnership, association, joint venture, corporation, or other for-profit or not-for-profit entity or combination of entities that develops or owns residential real estate. “Eligible household” means a household with an aggregate annual income of less than or equal to 150% of the median area income, adjusted for household size, as published and annually updated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Eligible property” means any structure or lot in Baltimore City that meets or, on completion of renovation or construction, will meet the requirements for dwellings set forth in the City Zoning Code Article and the <cite data-path="|building-codes">City Building, Fire, and Related Codes Article</cite>. “Neighborhood” means an area delineated by a commonly accepted boundary, as determined by the Director of Planning. “Program” means the Baltimore Affordable Housing Program established under this subtitle. Ord. 06-181

The Mayor and City Council of Baltimore find as follows. There is a need to develop programs to improve and expand housing opportunities for working families and other persons of low and moderate income. Economic diversity in our neighborhoods, including a strong and stable middle class, will stimulate economic investment, promote neighborhood stability, and increase public safety for all. Private sector individuals and businesses, as the primary source of housing and economic development activity, have not alone been able to create economically diverse neighborhoods or developments or to develop workforce housing for the broad range of incomes that will lead to economic diversity. Baltimore City can assemble and prepare sites and provide financial incentives to developers, eligible households, and non-profit organizations to promote economically diverse housing in City neighborhoods, to increase housing opportunities for working families and other persons of low and moderate income, and to reduce blight in neighborhoods. Ord. 06-181

There is a Baltimore Affordable Housing Program, established for the purposes of:promoting economically diverse housing in City neighborhoods; and increasing housing opportunities for working families and other persons of low and moderate income. The Commissioner of Housing and Community Development shall administer the Program consistent with this subtitle. Eligible activities authorized under this section must be conducted at a scale that, in the opinion of the Commissioner, is sufficient to address completely the blighting influences existing in the project area. For this purpose, the “project area” may be no smaller than a single block face comprising both sides of a street or way. The Commissioner, in his or her discretion, shall use Program funds for the purposes of:the acquisition, structural stabilization, and demolition of real property by the City {City Code <cite data-path="|13">Article 13</cite>, Subtitle 2}; the relocation of households, when that relocation is associated with the acquisition, structural stabilization, and demolition of real property by the City {City Code <cite data-path="|13">Article 13</cite>, Subtitle 2}; and the administration and marketing of the eligible activities described in this subsection. The Commissioner, in his or her discretion, shall use Program funds to provide appropriate financial incentives, including grants and loans, to developers, non-profit organizations, and eligible households for the purposes of:the orderly and sustainable planning, preservation, rehabilitation, and development of economically diverse housing in City neighborhoods; rental payment or home purchase assistance on behalf of eligible households for primary residency in eligible properties; and the provision of buyer education and housing counseling services to eligible households in connection with housing opportunities in City neighborhoods and to maximize home ownership. Ord. 06-181

Subject to Title 4 {“Administrative Procedure Act – Regulations”} of the <cite data-path="|general">City General Provisions Article</cite>, the Commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations to carry out this subtitle. All rules and regulations adopted under this section must be approved by the Board of Estimates before they may take effect. Ord. 06-181 Text Conformed 02/19/21 By authority of Ordinance 20-431, Section 5, the Director of Legislative Reference, in consultation with the Law Department, has conformed this section to refer expressly to the requirements of the recently-enacted Administrative Procedure Act that, effective January 15, 2021, governs the proposal, adoption, and publication of administrative rules and regulations.

It is the intent of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore that the Program be capitalized annually by appropriations of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. Ord. 06-181

The Commissioner shall issue to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore an annual report that describes the Program’s performance in the preceding year. Ord. 06-181