BALTIMORE — Baltimore's vacant home crisis has been affecting the city for decades.
As of Wednesday, the Department of Housing and Community Development reported 14,333 open vacant building notices. So far this year alone, 150 new vacant building notices have been issued.
On Thursday, faith and community leaders came together in a push for more action to solve the crisis. Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development, or "BUILD," released a report today titled Whole Blocks, Whole City. The report estimates the total costs of solving the vacant crisis for good at $7.5 billion.
In 2022 BUILD secured $50 million in ARPA funds from Mayor Brandon Scott to go towards the effort. Today, he also committed to the creation of a “special purpose entity” that can raise the $7.5 billion. The position will be locally accountable and engage state leadership to ensure the crisis is addressed over time.
So far BUILD's work has helped redevelop 450 properties. One of BUILD's leaders says they also keep an emphasis on strengthening the community, rather than gentrifying it.
When they started their work in the Oliver neighborhood in 2009 for example, 93% of the residents were black. Today, that number remains the same.
Baltimore can be rebuilt without displacing its current residents. in fact, by rebuilding, we can restore the wealth of so many legacy families who have had their housing wealth robbed from them over the past 50 years.
