DHCD Holds First Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council Meeting

DCHD recently held the first meeting of the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council, begins charting plans to revitalize 5000 units within 5 years. 

Last week, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development held the inaugural meeting of the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council, marking a significant milestone in the state’s commitment to addressing vacancy in Baltimore City. The council will tap key community, corporate, philanthropic and government leaders to leverage targeted investments to move at least 5,000 vacant properties into homeownership or other positive outcomes over the next five years.

Established in an October 1 executive order signed by Governor Wes Moore, the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council is part of the Reinvest Baltimore initiative, a coordinated effort between the State of Maryland, Baltimore City, and nonprofit and for-profit partners to eliminate concentrations of vacant properties, revitalize neighborhoods and maximize the economic potential and quality of life for residents in Baltimore City.

Sec. Day will serve as council chair and Baltimore City Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy will serve as vice chair. Governor Moore appointed additional council members, including Leslie McMillan, co-chair of Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, and Mark Anthony Thomas, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Baltimore Committee.

The council also includes Senator Cory McCray, appointed by Senate President Bill Ferguson; Delegate Stephanie Smith, appointed by Speaker of the House of Delegates Adrienne Jones; and Baltimore City Councilmember John Bullock, appointed by Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby.

The creation of the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council comes at a pivotal time for Maryland, as the state addresses housing affordability and community investment through comprehensive legislative measures championed by Governor Moore during the 2024 legislative session. The efforts, supported by a $361 million capital budget allocation, underscore Maryland’s commitment to addressing the state’s housing crisis.

Read the full story. 

This topic will also be covered at length during the 2024 MACo Winter Conference session, “Housing on the Horizon: Progress and the Path Forward.” MACo’s Winter Conference, “Anticipate, Adapt, Achieve: Thriving Through Turbulent Times” is scheduled for December 11-13, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD. More information can be found on our conference website.

Learn more about MACoMACo’smer Conference: