Baltimore is often described as a city in need of reinvestment.
But new data tells a more accurate story: Baltimore is a city with strong housing demand — waiting for the right homes to be built.
According to An Analysis of Baltimore City’s Residential Market Potential (January 2026), commissioned by Live Baltimore and conducted by nationally recognized housing researchers Zimmerman/Volk Associates, the city has the potential to attract up to 39,025 households each year into new and existing housing — across all income levels. 2026-Housing-Potential-Study
Over the next five years, that demand could translate into more than 20,000 new households, if housing is available at prices people can afford. 2026-Housing-Potential-Study
This finding challenges a common misconception:
Baltimore does not suffer from a lack of interest.
It suffers from a lack of attainable housing supply.
The Market Is Clear: Affordable and Workforce Housing Are Not Optional
One of the most important findings from the study is who makes up Baltimore’s future housing market.
More than 56% of potential households earn below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) — meaning the majority of demand is for affordable and workforce housing, not luxury development. 2026-Housing-Potential-Study
The study further estimates that if the right mix of housing were available, Baltimore could absorb between 4,294 and 5,855 new or fully renovated housing units every year, including rental and for-sale homes. 2026-Housing-Potential-Study
In other words, affordable housing is not a niche strategy.
It is the primary growth strategy for the city.
Poppleton: Where Data Meets Reality
This data comes to life in neighborhoods like Poppleton, one of Baltimore’s most historically significant communities and a focal point of HomeFree-USA’s housing development work.
Poppleton represents both the legacy and the future of Baltimore — a neighborhood shaped by decades of disinvestment, but now positioned for inclusive revitalization.
As Jim Griffin, Founder of HomeFree-USA, puts it:
“Poppleton isn’t just rising — it’s soaring, and taking its residents along for the journey. When we invest intentionally, we’re not displacing communities; we’re rebuilding opportunity and restoring pride.”
Homes developed and renovated in Poppleton are not speculative projects.
They are direct responses to documented demand — attainable homes for working families, first-time buyers, and long-term residents who want to remain rooted in the city.
Revitalizing Neighborhoods by Building Local Capacity
For more than 31 years, the organization has worked to:
- Expand sustainable homeownership
- Protect housing stability
- Strengthen workforce and community development
- Reinvest in historically disinvested neighborhoods
A critical part of that strategy is ensuring who builds the housing.
Through the Develop the Developer Academy, powered by Freddie Mac, HomeFree-USA is intentionally building a pipeline of local, community-centered developers — many of whom come from the neighborhoods they serve.
The Academy equips small developers with:
- Financial and project management training
- Access to capital readiness education
- Technical assistance to scale responsibly
- A mission-driven framework for community-focused development
By training developers to respond to real market demand — like the demand outlined in this study — HomeFree-USA is helping ensure that revitalization is inclusive, sustainable, and locally anchored.
From Market Data to Community Impact
The Live Baltimore study confirms what HomeFree-USA sees every day on the ground:
- People want to live in Baltimore.
- They want walkable neighborhoods.
- They want renovated homes.
- They want attainable ownership and stable rentals.
The path forward is clear.
When cities invest in attainable housing development, support local developers, and align policy with market realities, revitalization becomes a shared success — not a zero-sum game.
Poppleton is proof of what’s possible when data, mission, and community come together.
Baltimore’s future is not hypothetical.
It’s already waiting to be built.
View one of our properties currently on sale and contact us if you would like to schedule a visit.
Source:
An Analysis of Baltimore City’s Residential Market Potential, Live Baltimore, January 2026
