Baltimore buys $13.3M hotel to expand housing for homeless residents

Baltimore’s spending board has approved the $13.3 million purchase of a downtown hotel to provide housing for the city’s homeless population, the third such acquisition in two years.

The property, formerly the Fairfield Inn & Suites on South President Street, has operated as a women’s shelter since 2020, when the city began using hotels for housing during the pandemic. According to the Board of Estimates’ agenda, the facility can house up to 145 women each day.

The purchase was approved without discussion during Wednesday’s meeting. Funding for the deal will come from two sources: about $8 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and $5.2 million in city capital funds. The building is currently owned by MHF Baltimore DT V LLC and was once part of the Marriott chain.

Officials noted that losing the Fairfield Inn without a purchase agreement would have reduced Baltimore’s emergency shelter capacity, potentially leaving more residents unsheltered.

This acquisition follows two earlier hotel purchases finalized in February 2024, when the city spent $18.4 million to buy the former Sleep Inn & Suites Downtown Inner Harbor and the Holiday Inn Express Baltimore-Downtown, both located near Interstate 83. Like the Fairfield, those hotels were first used during the pandemic and later converted into permanent supportive housing that combines affordable rent with services such as health care, counseling, and case management.

Baltimore set aside more than $40 million in federal pandemic aid to expand shelter and housing capacity. Under federal rules, American Rescue Plan Act funds must be spent by the end of 2026.

Mayor Brandon Scott declined to say whether the city is planning additional hotel purchases but emphasized the need to stay proactive.

“We will acquire all the necessary housing that we can,” Scott said, pointing to growing federal pressure. He referenced funding cuts for homeless housing programs under the Trump administration, as well as the president’s recent clearance of homeless encampments in Washington, D.C.

“We can see what’s happening around the country, especially with the pressures from the federal government,” Scott said. “We just have to be prepared.”

Baltimore Approves $13.3M Purchase Of Downtown Hotel For Homeless Housing  was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com