The People’s Homesteading Group (PHG) has been working hard to restore the historic charm of rowhomes in Baltimore’s Barclay neighborhood for more than 15 years. Once noted for its architectural vibrancy, the 400 block of East 22nd Street had sadly become riddled with blight and vacancy in the later half of the 20th century. So far, PHG has acquired, renovated, and sold 15 homes on this block to first-time homebuyers earning 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) or less, the majority of whom were women and Black residents.
PHG has now partnered with Jubilee Baltimore to renovate five more blighted rowhomes on the block, completing the final phase of this transformative project. The newly renovated homes will feature historic brick facades, off-street parking, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and oversized windows. These homes will not have income restrictions, in line with PHG’s mixed-income development strategy.
The development team secured grants through Baltimore City’s Community Catalyst Grant program and the State of Maryland’s Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative. Additionally, after having led the effort to qualify the whole neighborhood as a historic district, PHG secured State Historic Tax Credits to help make this project financially feasible. NIIF proudly supported this project with over $2 million in flexible financing, comprised of a two-part construction debt facility to be repaid through both grant subsidies and sale proceeds.
“The East 22nd Street project is a vital part of our mission to create affordable homeownership opportunities while reinvesting in our communities,” said Michael Mazepink, Executive Director of PHG. “The collaboration with Jubilee Baltimore and the support from NIIF allowed us to not only provide quality homes to families but also to help revitalize a block once plagued by vacancy and blight.”