History

Making its debut in 1997, the Live Baltimore Home Center began as a joint effort of encore baltiMORE! and the Baltimore Campaign of the Citizens Planning and Housing Association.  They held a series of town hall-style meetings in 1996 attended by hundreds of citizens who love Baltimore and, in particular, its neighborhoods. Participants – who included residents, community activists, and public and private sector leaders – quickly reached consensus about the need to develop strategies to retain and increase Baltimore City’s residential base and to address and balance negative perceptions about city living. Through CPHA’s leadership, Live Baltimore was then founded to facilitate and implement such strategies.

Live Baltimore became a fully independent nonprofit entity in 2002.  It is funded by numerous community partners including the City of Baltimore, foundations and private businesses. A Board of Directors – comprised of representatives from businesses inside and outside of the development world, community organizations, city agencies, and funders – oversees its work.

While other organizations focus on promoting Baltimore for business investment, downtown development, tourism and conventions, Live Baltimore is the only organization focused on marketing city neighborhoods for new residential investment. Live Baltimore exists to retain current city residents, recruit new city residents and, ultimately, to increase Baltimore’s tax and resource base.