Give housing assistance programs a chance to work: Cancel Baltimore’s May tax sale

We’re now in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet again vulnerable Black homeowners face the prospect of losing their properties. During the first week of March, the City of Baltimore mailed notices to more than 4,500 people, informing them that their properties will be included in the city’s annual tax lien certificate sale, if outstanding tax bills, which generally average $2,000 to $3,000, are not paid by April 29. Liens on these properties will be sold during the May 16th tax sale, opening the door for investors to foreclose on the properties, wiping out families’ accumulated wealth and disrupting Black neighborhoods. We can’t let that happen.