Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development

Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development
Name	Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development
Formed	1940s
Jurisdiction	Baltimore
Headquarters	Baltimore City Hall
Chief1 name	Michael Braverman
Chief1 position	Director
Parent agency	Baltimore City Council

Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development is a municipal agency in Baltimore responsible for housing preservation, neighborhood revitalization, code enforcement, and development policy. The department works with entities such as the Department of Planning (Baltimore City), Mayor of Baltimore, Baltimore Development Corporation, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, and nonprofit partners including Habitat for Humanity and Enterprise Community Partners. Its activities intersect with local institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, MedStar Health, and federal programs administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

History

The agency traces municipal housing functions to early twentieth-century urban reform movements linked to the Great Depression and New Deal programs such as the Public Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration. Postwar shifts in housing policy after World War II and the passage of the Housing Act of 1949 influenced Baltimore’s municipal housing apparatus. Urban renewal projects of the 1950s and 1960s, including those related to the Inner Harbor (Baltimore) redevelopment and demolition associated with Highway revolts, shaped the department’s mandate. In the 1970s and 1980s the agency contended with industrial decline tied to the collapse of industries represented by companies like Bethlehem Steel and the suburbanization connected to the Interstate Highway System. Recent decades saw collaborations with philanthropic actors such as the Abell Foundation and litigation linked to tenant rights cases in state courts including the Maryland Court of Appeals.

Organization and Leadership

The department operates under the executive authority of the Mayor of Baltimore and oversight by the Baltimore City Council. Leadership includes a director reporting to the mayoral administration, supported by divisions responsible for development, code enforcement, housing policy, and neighborhood services. The organizational structure engages with agencies such as the Baltimore Police Department for safety-related initiatives, the Baltimore City Fire Department for building safety, and the Baltimore City Department of Transportation on infrastructure projects. Advisory relationships extend to institutional actors including the Annapolis state government and federal partners like the United States Department of the Treasury for tax credit coordination.

Programs and Services

The department administers programs covering rental assistance, homeownership counseling, rehabilitation loans, demolition, and code enforcement. It implements federally funded grants such as the Community Development Block Grant and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program in coordination with HUD. Local initiatives include targeted vacancy reduction akin to efforts by the Philadelphia Housing Authority and partnerships for supportive housing with providers like Catholic Charities and Baltimore Station. Services connect to workforce development collaborations with entities like the Maryland Department of Labor and community health strategies involving Johns Hopkins Medicine clinics.

Housing Policy and Initiatives

Policy initiatives address affordable housing preservation, inclusionary housing strategies, and foreclosure mitigation in contexts comparable to New York City and Chicago programs. The department has utilized tools such as low-income housing tax credits administered under the Internal Revenue Service framework, tax increment financing similar to uses in Atlanta, and public-private partnerships seen in developments with the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace stakeholders. Efforts also intersect with legal frameworks including the Fair Housing Act and state statutes enforced through the Maryland Attorney General.

Community Development and Neighborhood Revitalization

Neighborhood revitalization work targets areas affected by disinvestment, using strategies like targeted code enforcement, historic preservation compatible with listings on the National Register of Historic Places, and small area plans modeled after initiatives in Boston and Pittsburgh. The department collaborates with community development corporations such as Young Audiences, resident associations, and philanthropic funders including the Kresge Foundation. Projects often relate to commercial corridor stabilization, transit-oriented development near Penn Station (Baltimore) and expansion linked to the BaltimoreLink transit network.

Funding and Budget

Funding streams include federal grants from United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, state allocations from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, city general funds appropriated by the Baltimore City Council, tax increment financing, and private philanthropic contributions from organizations like the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Capital projects sometimes leverage low-income housing tax credits allocated by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and financing instruments coordinated with banks regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Criticisms and Controversies

The department has faced criticism over demolition policies tied to vacant property clearance debated alongside preservation advocates such as the Society for the Preservation of Federal Hill and Fell’s Point, legal challenges referencing tenant protections overseen by the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, and disputes over eminent domain practices analogous to controversies in New London, Connecticut. Critics including community activists, residents of neighborhoods like Sandtown-Winchester and East Baltimore, and watchdog organizations have questioned transparency, neighborhood displacement, contract procurement with developers, and the pace of affordable housing production. Investigations and audits by entities such as the Maryland Office of the Inspector General and media reporting in outlets like the Baltimore Sun have documented contested outcomes and spurred calls for reform.

Category:Government of Baltimore Category:Housing in Maryland