BALTIMORE — Baltimore residents who are searching for city housing will have a new tool at their disposal as the Housing Authority of Baltimore City launches a new website.
The new site lists properties available across the city, allowing users to search for specific features in the hopes housing can be found that more acutely meets their needs. This new Digital Housing Map utilizes Google Maps technology to provide an easily viewable map showing available locations, including the apartment sizes and amenities, the accessibility of each unit, and the building’s designation for particular populations, the HABC said. The site is also responsive when viewed on mobile devices.
“We want to provide applicants with as many tools as possible to assist them in finding a home that meets their needs,” said HABC Executive Director Janet Abrahams. “We are utilizing popular digital technology to provide convenience and accessibility for public housing applicants.
The website also affords public housing and Housing Choice Voucher Program applicants to update their applications and make changes to contact info online as well. The goal is to continue to build the website to the point that applicants can submit applications and go through their review process online, ultimately finding a home that best meets their needs when considering family size, age, and accessibility.
Beyond the website, the HABC has worked to streamline the public housing wait list, reducing the rat population in HABC communities, and earning a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant meant to transform the Perkins Somerset Oldtown Community from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , the HABC said.
“We have streamlined and reorganized the content in the Public Housing and HCVP pages, as well as throughout the website,” said Director Abrahams. “The launch of the new website also represents a celebration of our independence as the Housing Authority of Baltimore City.”
