Vacant Housing

BUILD, the influential, multifaith nonprofit group, is fighting to ensure that certain neighborhoods are included in the governor’s plan to redevelop vacants in Baltimore City.

With an executive order Tuesday, the Maryland governor launched a new initiative to address the decades-long issue of vacant properties in the city.

Baltimore’s City Council is looking at a new and untested approach with a special financing package aimed at revitalizing blighted neighborhoods.

During the town hall, attendees formed small groups to discuss strategies for attracting more residents, resources for renters and homeowners and improving affordability.

Baltimore’s Housing Department enacted the fixed pricing program earlier this year. It allows residents and community land trusts to purchase city-owned vacant properties for one dollar.

There are more than thirteen thousand abandoned buildings in Baltimore City. We hear from two entities - a non-profit and a for-profit - that are chipping away at Baltimore's vacant blight.

Two local efforts to develop the housing and businesses in Baltimore City are seeing some success. We speak to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake and the West North Avenue Development Authority.

“Vacancy represents one of Baltimore’s greatest challenges, but it also represents Baltimore’s greatest opportunity.”

Lawmakers are aiming to deter investors from sitting on derelict properties in Baltimore City by implementing a special tax rate.

In the spirit of dialogue, the forum was not a debate but rather a chance for each candidate to separately take the stage and share their plans to reduce vacancy.