WHEREAS, home ownership can help blind individuals achieve independence by allowing them to raise families, build wealth, and develop community connections; and
WHEREAS, high home costs in Maryland, along with special housing considerations (such as neighborhood walkability, access to public transit, and proximity to basic services), often hinder blind individuals from becoming or remaining homeowners; and
WHEREAS, to make home ownership more feasible for blind individuals, the State of Maryland offers blind homeowners a partial property tax exemption by reducing the assessed value of their principal residence by $15,000; and
WHEREAS, the relative value of this partial property tax exemption has declined significantly over time because the assessment reduction of $15,000 has not been adjusted since at least 2000, while the median home value in Maryland has risen by 264% (from $146,000 to $385,549) over the 2000-2023 period: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland assembled this eleventh day of November, 2023, that this organization urge the Maryland General Assembly and the Governor to enact legislation updating the value of the partial property tax exemption for blind individuals to reflect the significant increase in Maryland's home values over the past few decades and thus restore the provision's efficacy in promoting home ownership among blind Marylanders.