But then Councilwoman Odette Ramos took matters into her own hands, sponsoring revised legislation and championing its success after she said she was able to take advantage of the original bill.
“It’s been very effective,” Ramos said. “I actually bought my first house in 1997 using that law.”
Tenants in Baltimore tell WJZ they feel the new law could be a game changer.
“It gives people the opportunity to get some kind of ownership, which is rare in this city,” Baltimore resident Brandon Gilchrist said. “So I think it’s a really positive thing to give people a taste of ownership.”
But the executive director of Baltimore Renters United, Ashley Esposito, disagrees, saying she believes the legislation will only help certain tenants.
“Some of the renters we serve wouldn’t benefit from this legislation because they don’t currently live in single-family homes,” Esposito said, “What I see is that rising rents are making it difficult for people who are saving… Our concern is rent affordability in the city as a whole, because it’s a barrier to people participating in homeownership.”