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Vacant homes are visible with boarded doors and windows on Feb. 15, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Moore announces $50M in grants to address Baltimore vacant homes
Gov. Wes Moore announced $50 million in grant awards to reduce vacant properties in Baltimore City.
The communities selected for the funds were chosen due to high redevelopment potential, according to a Monday news release from the governor’s office. The Moore administration has prioritized development in Baltimore, particularly to address the high vacancy rate in the state’s largest city.
“For this to be Maryland’s decade, it has to be Baltimore’s time,” Moore said. “We know that if we want to drive investment and growth in Baltimore City, we need to address its vacant housing crisis.”
addressing vacant home reduction in Baltimore. (Office of the Governor)
Vacancy causes many citywide issues, including the opportunity cost of real estate being left unused. Vacant buildings also drive down property values of surrounding real estate and can become dangerous and costly for the city due to deterioration and the need for inspections, Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jake Day said.
The investments are part of the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative, which provides funds for local community development organizations. These groups are responsible for acquisition, stabilization, demolition and redevelopment of properties designated as vacant.
Many of the properties are located in communities that have historically seen disinvestment, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said.
Moore made the announcement just over three months after award applications opened, a rapid acceleration from the expected timeline of six months.
According to Day, the process was accelerated by identifying properties already owned by developers or community development organizations ready for redevelopment. Properties that had recently changed ownership were also targeted.
Organizations will receive funding at the start of each month based on their needs and their performance with previous grants.
“The money will move at the speed necessary to respond to their acquisition efforts,” Day said.
Of the total funds, $15 million will go to the city and the Maryland Stadium Authority to acquire, demolish and stabilize vacant properties for redevelopment. $30 million will be awarded to the chosen community development organizations, and $5 million will carry large, mixed-use projects from fiscal year 2025 into their next phase.
Day said the vacancy rate in the city has dropped from over 14,300 at the start of the Moore administration to about 12,500 today.
The governor’s office has made vacancy reduction a priority since Moore issued an executive order in October 2024 that established Reinvest Baltimore. The initiative aims to move at least 5,000 vacant properties into homeownership or other positive outcomes by fiscal year 2029.
Day said the city’s vacancy could be functionally eliminated within 15 years.
