Maryland offers homebuying incentives to BRAC workers

by Ryan Sharrow | September 29, 2010 | Baltimore Business Journal



Maryland’s housing department said Wednesday a new program will provide an additional $2,500 in home buying assistance to military workers relocating to the state.


The BRAC Match Program enables homebuyers to receive $2,500 in down payment and/or closing cost assistance if purchasing a home through the Maryland Mortgage Program, administered by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development. The state-run mortgage aid program offers first-time homebuyers a variety of low-interest, fixed-rate loan options.

The BRAC Match Program is available to civilian and military employees of the federal defense agencies that are relocating to Maryland.

The Base Realignment and Closure plan is expected to bring thousands of workers to Maryland from New Jersey and Virginia over the next several years.

The program can be used with other state assistance programs currently available to homebuyers.

In July, the state announced plans to expand the Maryland Mortgage Program ahead of BRAC and provide $100 million in mortgage loans to homebuyers in 10 counties.

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No Maryland employees enroll same-sex spouses for health insurance

By: Hayley Peterson Examiner Staff - June 7, 2010

No Maryland state employees enrolled their same-sex spouses for health benefits during the state's first enrollment period for gay couples, according to Gov. Martin O'Malley's office.

The state's Office of Budget and Management opened the special enrollment period for same-sex couples following a February mandate from Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler that state agencies begin recognizing out-of-state gay marriages.

Although no one enrolled their same-sex partners for benefits, a handful of gay couples submitted their marriage certificates for the record.

"We have received a number of marriage certificates from employees already receiving domestic partner benefits, which means the only change would be that they would be in the system recognized as 'married,' " said O'Malley spokesman Shaun Adamec. The state has received fewer than 10 certificates, but more may have been submitted that have not been processed, he said.

Maryland already extends health benefits to same-sex couples who register as "domestic partners" -- meaning they share a bank account and home address, and agree to sign a contract saying they have been in a relationship for at least one year.

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