The additional funds can be used to help buy homes in the UMB program’s targeted neighborhoods in West Baltimore.
Photo: From left, Karen Park, MA, MBA, chief of staff to the chief business and finance officer and director of strategic projects, Administration and Finance, and Emily Winkler, MS, benefits manager, Human Resource Services, provide information on UMB’s Live Near Your Work Program at the Trolley Tour event in October. (Photo by Live Baltimore)
Good fortune smiled on two University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) employees in October when each won a lottery prize of $5,000 to be used toward the purchase of a house in West Baltimore as a bonus to $18,500 that is offered through UMB’s Live Near Your Work (LNYW) Program and the city of Baltimore.
Dongge Li, MD, research lead specialist, Dr. Lau and Dr. Krupnick Laboratories, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, and Binny Bhandary, MS, laboratory research specialist, Department of Radiation Oncology, both from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, were the lottery winners. Their names were chosen from among the UMB employees who attended a Trolley Tour event at UMB in October.
Live Baltimore, a nonprofit and UMB LNYW community partner that organized the Trolley Tour, described the half-day event as a “one-stop shop to discover, learn, and connect with homebuying resources.”
Li, who said she was not aware of the UMB lottery before attending the event, said she is actively searching for a home and exploring neighborhoods close to campus.
“I have a few areas in mind but haven’t finalized anything,” said Li, who lives in downtown Baltimore. “I was thrilled and grateful to win the lottery. It was an unexpected and exciting bonus.”
Bhandary says she was “surprised and excited” to receive the $5,000 bonus, which must be used by May 1, 2025, to help close on a home through the LNYW Program. She currently lives in the Mount Vernon neighborhood and plans to apply for homebuying assistance funds beyond the UMB grant.
“I am just starting the process of learning about the homebuying steps and will start looking for houses early next year,” Bhandary said. “Live Near Your Work is a wonderful program to motivate UMB employees to live near campus.”
The Trolley Tour drew 453 attendees, according to Live Baltimore. It consisted of three parts: a City Living Fair where real estate, mortgage, homeownership, and community organizations provided information on their services and resources; educational workshops such as “10 Common Homebuying Mistakes to Avoid,” “Ask a Lender,” and “Down Payment Assistance 101”; and a narrated bus tour of city neighborhoods.
The bus tour included areas that are targeted in UMB’s LNYW Program. Employees interested in the UMB grant must purchase a home in one of 11 West Baltimore neighborhoods: Barre Circle, Druid Heights, Franklin Square, Harlem Park, Heritage Crossing, Hollins Market, Mount Clare, Pigtown/Washington Village, Poppleton, Union Square, and Upton.
The LNYW Program offers a $16,000 grant to eligible UMB employees toward purchasing a home in one of those neighborhoods. In addition, participants are eligible to receive a matching grant of up to $2,500 from the city of Baltimore’s LNYW Program. Both grants are considered taxable benefits.
Participants must complete a homeownership counseling program provided by a U.S. Housing and Urban Development-certified housing counselor before signing a contract for sale, provide documentation of creditworthiness, and contribute a minimum of $1,000 toward the down payment.
In 2018, the UMB program increased its previously rarely used benefit from $2,500 to $16,000 and boosted its community partnerships with Live Baltimore, the Southwest Partnership, and GO Northwest Housing Resource Center to offer homebuying workshops, financial counseling, neighborhood tours, and a housing fair.
All told since 2018, more than $1.2 million in LNYW grants has been distributed by UMB, helping 77 employees to buy homes in West Baltimore.
“The Live Near Your Work Program is an incredible initiative,” Li said. “It not only provides financial support but also encourages employees to build stronger connections within the community. I’m very grateful for the opportunities it offers.”
If you are a UMB employee interested in the program, visit the UMB LNYW website for more information. If you are interested in submitting an application, send an email to LNYW@umaryland.edu. Program applications must be completed before you close on a house.
If you missed the October event or want to check out different areas of the city, Live Baltimore’s next trolley tour will be held Feb. 1, 2025, at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in North Baltimore. Registration for this free event can be found at LiveBaltimore.com/trolleytour.