05-24-05 – Live Baltimore, a non-profit organization that promotes home buying in Baltimore City, is focusing on the city’s significant housing-cost advantage in its campaign targeted at current Washington, D.C. residents and workforce. In 2004, the average price for a home in Baltimore was $131,405 and in Washington D.C., it was $450,430, according to a study from the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.
Live Baltimore is targeting Washington, D.C. residents who are currently renting, have an income under $53,120 and can’t afford to purchase a home within D.C., Tracy Gosson, Live Baltimore’s executive director, told members of the GBC at a President’s Advisory Council on May 24. "No other city does what we do to get people to live in Baltimore City," she said.
Live Baltimore’s print campaign’s slogans are about Baltimore’s affordable and historical homes with real yards in comparison to homeowners in D.C. feeling “house poor.” The campaign investment last year was $75,000 in advertising and more than $150,000 in public relations efforts, Gosson said.
There are also various incentive programs available for first time homebuyers and communities in the Baltimore region through the ‘Live Near Your Work’ program, as well as other offers that are aimed at getting people off of the thoroughfares and into city neighborhoods, Gosson said. Live Baltimore offers relocation packages, home buying fairs, and neighborhood tours. According to Live Baltimore, the Baltimore City population decline has slowed to less than 30 per month and is poised to grow.
“Our goal is to keep those 25-year olds living in Canton and Federal Hill in the City when they get married and have kids,” Gosson said. "We also want to influence public perceptions through promoting positive attributes of Baltimore City living."
To view Gosson's PowerPoint presentation, click here.