In 2010 Baltimore unveiled Vacants to Value, an effort to rehab abandoned properties and eliminate blight across the city. But, while officials have boasted that more than 1,500 houses have been renovated and occupied through the program, a recent investigation found that the real number is closer to just 900 homes.
In this hour, the good, bad and ugly aspects of Baltimore’s efforts to address its vacant property crisis.
We'll hear from Joan Jacobsen, author of a recent report on Vacants to Value, and Robin Jacobs, an attorney and housing expert from the Community Law Center. We’ll also hear from a community organizer about the challenges of living on a block that’s pockmarked by abandoned properties.
