What down payment assistance is available in Baltimore City?
Baltimore is not one program — it is a stack
Baltimore City runs several homeownership incentives simultaneously through its Department of Housing and Community Development, alongside statewide assistance. The main ones are:
- First-Time Homebuyers Incentive Program (FTHIP) — the flagship, a calculated award commonly described as $10,000 to $20,000 or more, as a five-year forgivable loan.
- Baltimore City Employee Homeownership Program — $5,000 or $10,000 for city and quasi-city employees.
- Buying Into Baltimore — a $5,000 incentive awarded by lottery to Live Baltimore trolley tour attendees.
- Live Near Your Work — a city match of an employer’s contribution.
- Vacants to Value Booster — $10,000 for buying a formerly vacant home.
- The statewide Maryland Mortgage Program — a below-market first mortgage with its own assistance.
Which of these you can actually reach depends on who you are, who you work for, and what you buy — not simply on where you buy.
This is a genuinely different situation from most Maryland jurisdictions. Elsewhere the question is “is there a county program?” In Baltimore the question is “which of these am I eligible for, and can they be combined?” That second question has a specific, verified answer in at least one important case, covered further down this page.
First-Time Homebuyers Incentive Program (FTHIP)
FTHIP is the City’s principal homebuyer program, funded through Community Development Block Grants and administered by the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development.
It is important to understand that FTHIP is not a flat grant. The award is calculated from your circumstances. Live Baltimore describes the range as “$10,000 to $20,000+” in down payment and closing cost assistance, dependent on household income, closing costs, monthly mortgage payment and home sales price.
The City describes the award as being built from three components:
- 50% of the required down payment
- GAP funding — calculated as the difference between your annual mortgage payments and 30% of your household annual income
- An interest rate buydown of up to 2.5%
Check how the buydown interacts with the Maryland Mortgage Program
The City’s current published incentive materials do not state whether the 2.5% interest rate buydown is available to buyers who are also receiving Maryland Mortgage Program funds. Treat that as an open question to settle before you commit to a route.
This is the kind of stacking detail that generic down payment assistance articles miss entirely, and it can move real money. Ask Baltimore City DHCD and your lender directly whether the buydown applies alongside state assistance in your situation.
Which route wins depends on arithmetic: the value of the state’s below-market rate and assistance, versus the value of the city’s buydown plus its other components. That comparison has to be run on real numbers, by a lender who can price both.
The $5,000 bonus
An additional $5,000 bonus is available through the First-Time Homebuyers Incentive Program to buyers who either:
- Purchase the home they have rented and occupied for at least six months, or
- Have a disability as defined by federal law, or have a household member with a disability
FTHIP requirements
| Feature | Terms |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Calculated award; commonly $10,000 to $20,000 or more |
| Structure | Five-year forgivable loan |
| Forgiveness | Forgiven if you remain in the home for five years as your primary residence |
| First-time buyer | Required |
| Income limit | At or below 80% of area median income |
| Your own money | At least $1,000 of your own funds |
| Homebuyer education | Required — workshop plus a counseling session, from a City-approved agency |
| Certificate validity | 12 months from completion |
| Application | Through the online Applicant Portal; your housing counselor and lender complete it |
The other city incentives
These run alongside FTHIP and each has its own qualifying route. Several are not restricted to first-time buyers.
| Program | Assistance | Structure | Who qualifies | Income limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Time Homebuyers Incentive | Calculated, commonly $10,000–$20,000+ | Five-year forgivable loan | First-time buyers | 80% AMI |
| City Employee Homeownership | $5,000 or $10,000 | Grant | City and quasi-city agency employees with at least six months of service | None stated |
| Buying Into Baltimore | $5,000 | Grant, awarded by lottery | Live Baltimore trolley tour attendees | None stated |
| Live Near Your Work | City match of employer funds | Matching grant | Employees of participating employers | None stated |
| Vacants to Value Booster | $10,000 | Grant | Buyers of homes vacant at least a year with a Vacant Building Notice | None stated |
Baltimore City Employee Homeownership Program
A grant of $5,000 or $10,000 for employees of the city and quasi-city agencies who have been employed at least six months. If you work for the city, this is usually the first thing to check.
Buying Into Baltimore
A $5,000 incentive awarded by lottery to people who attend a Live Baltimore trolley tour event. Because it is a lottery tied to a specific event with a specific contract window, it is opportunistic rather than something you can plan a purchase around. Attend if you can; do not build your budget on winning.
Live Near Your Work
The City matches a contribution made by a participating employer, typically producing a combined figure in the range of $2,000 to $5,000 or more depending on what the employer puts in. This one is worth a direct question to your HR department — many employees of participating institutions have no idea the benefit exists.
Vacants to Value Booster
A $10,000 grant for buyers purchasing a home that has been vacant for at least a year and carried a Vacant Building Notice for at least a year before renovation. A Certificate of Occupancy must be shown when applying. This is aimed squarely at returning vacant housing stock to use, and it is not restricted to first-time buyers.
Funding is finite and first-come, first-served
Check the balance before you plan around it
City incentives run on a July 1 to June 30 funding cycle and are distributed first-come, first-served. The City publishes remaining funding and remaining incentive counts, and those numbers move during the year.
As of 08/10/2026, the City showed roughly $895,567 remaining for the First-Time Homebuyers Incentive, with 90 employee incentives, 60 Buying Into Baltimore incentives, 108 Live Near Your Work incentives and 85 Vacants to Value incentives remaining. Those are snapshots, not guarantees — verify current availability before relying on any of them.
Two procedural details matter as much as the money. Your settlement date must be at least 30 days after you submit your application, and checks typically take 10 to 15 business days to issue after approval. A compressed closing timeline and a city incentive do not sit well together.
Map every Baltimore incentive you qualify for
Buyers often claim one incentive and miss others they were entitled to. It is worth listing all of them before you write an offer.
This is not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to credit approval.
The statewide Maryland Mortgage Program
Baltimore City buyers also have access to the Maryland Mortgage Program, the state’s homeownership loan program administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. MMP pairs a below-market 30-year fixed first mortgage with its own down payment assistance options, and it is available in every Maryland jurisdiction.
MMP offers a first-time buyer track and a track that accommodates repeat buyers, with assistance ranging from a flat $6,000 to a percentage of the first mortgage. Most MMP assistance takes the form of a zero percent deferred second lien repaid when the first mortgage ends.
The Maryland Mortgage Program also lists Live Baltimore among the local down payment assistance partners in its statewide directory, including the Buy Back the Block initiative.
Combining programs
This is where Baltimore rewards care. Some combinations are explicitly addressed; most are not.
- Verified: the FTHIP 2.5% interest rate buydown is not available to buyers receiving Maryland Mortgage Program funds.
- Not assumed: whether any two city incentives can be layered on the same purchase, and in what order, depends on each program’s rules and on your first mortgage.
A rule worth applying everywhere
The existence of two programs does not mean they can be combined. Whether city, state and employer assistance can be used together on a single purchase depends on the requirements of each program and on what your first mortgage permits.
Ask the question explicitly, in writing, of your lender and the City’s Office of Homeownership before you write an offer that depends on the answer.
How local assistance works with your mortgage
City incentives are secondary assistance layered on top of a first mortgage, so your first mortgage’s rules govern what is permitted.
| Loan type | How it interacts with local assistance |
|---|---|
| FHA | Widely used with city incentives because of its lower down payment and flexible credit standards. Note that FTHIP calculates part of its award as 50% of the required down payment, so the size of the down payment your loan requires affects the award. |
| VA | Qualified veterans can already finance without a down payment, so assistance tends to be directed at closing costs. Secondary financing and gift or grant treatment follow VA rules and lender overlays. |
| USDA | USDA loans are limited to eligible rural areas. Baltimore City is urban, so USDA financing is generally not a realistic route here. |
| Conventional | Conventional loans permit approved community seconds and grant funds under defined conditions. The specific product and its mortgage insurance requirements determine what is allowed. |
If you want to understand the loan most commonly paired with city assistance, our Maryland FHA loans guide explains how FHA financing works in detail.
How to apply
- Take a homeownership class from a City-approved counseling agency. You need both a workshop and a counseling session, and the certificate is valid for 12 months.
- Get pre-approved with a lender who works with Baltimore City incentives.
- Identify every incentive you might qualify for — ask your employer about Live Near Your Work, check the employee program if you work for the city, and consider whether the home you are targeting is a Vacants to Value property.
- Apply through the online Applicant Portal. Your housing counselor and lender complete the application; you cannot submit it alone.
- Allow the timeline. Settlement must be at least 30 days after application, and funds take 10 to 15 business days to issue after approval.
Common mistakes
- Treating Baltimore as a one-program city. Buyers routinely take FTHIP and never ask about Live Near Your Work or the employee grant they also qualified for.
- Assuming state and city assistance stack cleanly. The 2.5% buydown is expressly unavailable to Maryland Mortgage Program recipients.
- Getting counseling too late, or letting the certificate lapse. It must predate your purchase and is valid for only 12 months.
- Writing a fast settlement. Settlement must be at least 30 days after application.
- Expecting a flat amount. FTHIP is calculated, not fixed.
- Assuming funding will be there. Incentives are first-come, first-served within a July–June cycle and do run down.
Frequently asked questions
How much down payment assistance can I get in Baltimore City?
It depends which programs you qualify for. The First-Time Homebuyers Incentive is calculated and commonly described as $10,000 to $20,000 or more. Other incentives — the employee grant, Buying Into Baltimore, Live Near Your Work and Vacants to Value — carry their own amounts, and statewide Maryland Mortgage Program assistance may also be available.
Do I have to pay Baltimore City assistance back?
The First-Time Homebuyers Incentive is a five-year forgivable loan — it is forgiven if you stay in the home as your primary residence for five years. Several other city incentives are structured as grants. The structure differs by program, so confirm which applies to your award.
Can I use Baltimore City assistance and the Maryland Mortgage Program together?
Partly. The City states that buyers receiving Maryland Mortgage Program funds are not eligible for the 2.5% interest rate buydown component of the city award. Whether the remaining components combine with state assistance on your file depends on both programs’ rules and your first mortgage, so have a lender price both routes.
Do I have to be a first-time buyer?
For the First-Time Homebuyers Incentive, yes. Several other city incentives — including the employee program, Live Near Your Work and Vacants to Value — are not stated to require first-time status.
What is the income limit?
The First-Time Homebuyers Incentive requires household income at or below 80% of area median income. The other city incentives listed do not state an income limit, though other conditions apply.
How does Buying Into Baltimore work?
It is a $5,000 incentive awarded by lottery to people who attend a Live Baltimore trolley tour, with a defined contract window tied to the event. Because it is a lottery, it should be treated as a bonus rather than a planned part of your funds.
Is Vacants to Value still available?
The City lists a Vacants to Value Booster of $10,000 for buyers of homes vacant at least a year that carried a Vacant Building Notice for at least a year before renovation, with a Certificate of Occupancy required at application. Availability is subject to remaining funding.
How much of my own money do I need?
The First-Time Homebuyers Incentive requires at least $1,000 of your own funds toward the purchase.
How long does it take?
Build in real time. Counseling must be completed first, settlement must be at least 30 days after you apply, and checks typically issue 10 to 15 business days after approval.
What if the funding runs out?
Incentives are distributed first-come, first-served on a July 1 to June 30 cycle. The City publishes remaining balances and counts. If a program is exhausted, buyers generally wait for the next cycle or pivot to statewide assistance.
Sources
- Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development — Homeownership Incentives: program listing, amounts and structures for the First-Time Homebuyers Incentive, City Employee Homeownership Program, Buying Into Baltimore, Live Near Your Work and Vacants to Value Booster; the 80% area median income limit; the $1,000 minimum contribution; homeownership class requirement; Applicant Portal process; July 1 to June 30 funding cycle; first-come, first-served distribution; the 30-day settlement rule; 10 to 15 business day disbursement; and remaining funding and incentive counts shown as of 08/10/2026.
- Baltimore City — First-Time Homebuyers Incentive Program materials and incentives calculator: the award components of 50% of the required down payment, GAP funding calculated against 30% of household annual income, and an interest rate buydown of up to 2.5%; and the statement that buyers are not eligible for the 2.5% buydown if receiving Maryland Mortgage Program funds.
- Baltimore City — homeownership incentive program flyer dated January 15, 2026: the additional $5,000 bonus for buyers who purchase a home they have rented and occupied for at least six months, or who have a disability or a household member with a disability.
- Live Baltimore — First-Time Homebuyers Incentive Program: the $10,000 to $20,000+ range, the calculated nature of the award, the five-year forgivable loan structure, and the 12-month validity of the counseling certificate.
- Maryland Mortgage Program — down payment assistance offered by location: listing of Baltimore City resources among local assistance partners.
- Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development — Maryland Mortgage Program structure, assistance options and approved lender requirement.
Verified September 2, 2026. City incentive terms, award calculations and funding availability change during the year, and all awards are subject to available funding. Confirm current terms with the Baltimore City Office of Homeownership and an approved lender before relying on anything here.
This page explains how homebuyer assistance in Baltimore City generally works. It does not determine individual eligibility, is not a commitment to lend, and is not a Loan Estimate. Program terms are set by the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, its partners and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, and participating lenders may apply additional requirements. Maryland Homebuyer Hub is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of Baltimore City, Live Baltimore, or any government agency.