My Statement on the State’s Announcement to Tackle Vacant Properties in Baltimore City

I applaud Secretary Day and Maryland DHCD for their leadership and partnership with the vacants reduction initiative. Mayor Scott, GBC, and BUILD came together to outline a strategy to raise significant funding for reducing vacant properties two years ago. Last year, Governor Moore stepped up and created the Reinvest Baltimore Initiative to add the State to this partnership. 

Secretary Day recognizes that one of the obstacles to successfully eliminate vacant and abandoned properties is the need for quick deployment of funding to complete the work. In my previous role as the Executive Director of the Community Development Network of Maryland, I know first-hand that the community development organizations and their development partners have struggled for years to complete projects in a timely manner because the funding took so long to get to them. Secretary Day’s initiative to move the committed $50million to the Maryland Community Investment Corporation (MCIC), who will quickly deploy those resources to community development organizations, means we will be seeing more construction to rehabilitate vacant properties in the next few months and I’m really excited about it.

While I have additional questions about how the quick deployment fits with the whole block strategy and where the operating support for the community development organizations will come from, Secretary Day’s initiative is a tremendous step in the right direction. 

Every visible step we can take to spur the renovation of vacant properties will help us reduce crime, increase our population, and create intentional mixed income communities. It is also an homage to the sacrifice of the three fire fighters who died when a vacant home collapsed on them three years ago. 

Councilwoman Ramos has written several letters to the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council.