SALISBURY, Md.- A redevelopment project on Salisbury’s west side will receive $900,000 through Maryland’s UPLIFT program to transform a block of vacant buildings into 12 affordable homes. That is according to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, which announced Wednesday.
Courtesy of the State of Maryland.
Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day said the Westport development has become Maryland’s newest UPLIFT community. The funding will help bridge the gap between construction costs and the homes' sale prices, supporting the creation of new homeownership opportunities in a neighborhood that has faced years of disinvestment.
The UPLIFT program, short for Utilizing Progressive Lending Investments to Finance Transformation, provides financing to nonprofit and for-profit developers working to expand affordable housing and increase homeownership in neighborhoods targeted for revitalization. The program is designed to speed the development, construction and sale of affordable homes while encouraging long-term investment in communities.
Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services will oversee the Westport project.
Courtesy of the State of Maryland.
“Becoming an UPLIFT community is more than just creating affordable homes – it’s the next step in healing communities in Maryland like Westport that have historically been denied the opportunity for homeownership and generational wealth,” Secretary Day said. “These 12 homes represent change. When empty lots and buildings become homes once again, neighborhoods grow stronger, property values rise and families have the opportunity to build wealth.”
The announcement also included the launch of a new Maryland Mortgage Program product available exclusively for homes built through the UPLIFT program. First-time homebuyers purchasing qualifying UPLIFT properties will now have access to a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a competitive interest rate and 5% down payment assistance.
State leaders said the financing option is intended to make homeownership more accessible while supporting redevelopment efforts in neighborhoods receiving UPLIFT investments.
Cheryl Meadows, executive director of Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services, said the project represents an investment in both housing and the future of the Westport neighborhood.
“Today is about celebrating the future of Westport and the families who will one day call this neighborhood home,” Meadows said. Every renovated home represents an opportunity for someone to achieve the dream of homeownership, build wealth, and become part of a community.”
The state said the mortgage product is available only for properties financed through the UPLIFT program.
