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Housing Vacancy and Community Redevelopment

In December 2023, GBC joined with the Mayor's Office of Baltimore City and BUILD to address more than 37,000 vacant properties by leveraging $3 billion in public and private financing. The funding represents one of the single-largest investments in neighborhood redevelopment in the history of Baltimore City.

Media Coverage

BUILD, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Greater Baltimore Committee partner to end vacant housing crisis
The AFRO News

On Dec. 11, Scott and the organizations’ leaders are set to host a public action meeting at Greater Harvest Baptist Church in Southwest Baltimore to update residents on their strategy to finance the rehabilitation of these homes. Read More.

Baltimore leaders propose ‘landmark’ $8 billion plan to confront vacant housing
The Baltimore Banner

A coalition of Baltimore faith and business leaders and Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration Monday unveiled an estimated $8 billion plan to revive thousands of vacant and abandoned homes funded by the city, state and private donors. Read More.

Baltimore's Vacant Properties Plan
The Baltimore Sun

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott unveiled an ambitious $3 billion plan Monday to attack the city’s thousands of vacant properties, promising to address a decades-old problem with funding from a newly created Tax Increment Financing zone and a yet-to-be-secured state investment. Read More.

Viewpoint: Why the GBC wants to tackle city's vacant housing issue
The Baltimore Business Journal

“Baltimore’s vacancy challenge is complex, and is an amalgamation of many economic and social issues. It is also a backdrop for other challenges,” GBC CEO Mark Anthony Thomas writes. Read More.

Committee plans to address city's vacant home crisis
WMAR-TV

There are more than 14,000 vacant homes in Baltimore. On Sunday, BUILD, the Greater Baltimore Committee, and Mayor Brandon Scott announced a joint effort to deal with the crisis. A steering committee will come up with a plan. Watch Video.

New GBC leader plans to mobilize business community to tackle Baltimore’s vacant housing crisis
The Baltimore Banner

The Greater Baltimore Committee, the area’s pro-business advocacy group, merged with the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore last year, condensing into one larger voice. It coincided with the departure of the GBC’s longtime leader, Donald C. Fry, who stepped down after nearly two decades at the helm. Mark Anthony Thomas, a newcomer to Baltimore with a fresh set of eyes, stepped in to replace him by the year’s end, eager to build a legacy. Read More.

Mayor, business and faith leaders say they’re uniting to attack Baltimore’s vacant housing crisis
The Baltimore Banner

A crowd of more than 500 people gathered before nightfall Sunday evening, their heads bent for an opening prayer at Memorial Baptist Church. They were urged to contemplate Baltimore City’s vacant housing crisis as they prepared to hear the details of a plan to work on ending it. Read More.

Greater Baltimore Committee developing new plan to deal with vacant homes
WMAR-TV

“When companies are making decisions, or when banks are making investment decisions for businesses they’re choosing to invest in, or when people are looking at a market at a hyper level, if you have population decline and blight, you’re already disadvantaged,” said Mark Anthony Thomas, President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. Watch Video.

Mayor Scott, city leaders renew push to end vacant and abandoned homes in Baltimore City
FOX45 News

There’s a new $7.5 billion proposed joint initiative in Baltimore City that seeks to turn around the long-standing issue of property vacancy and abandonment in the city. Watch Video.

Baltimore's vacant home crisis: Committee plans on obtaining billions to combat issue
WJZ News

A new initiative will bring together Baltimore leaders and faith organizations to help combat the city’s vacant home crisis. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is partnering with organizations to build a steering committee together with a goal to get $7.5 billion to invest in vacant properties in Baltimore. Watch Video.

Steering Committee Co-Chairs

  • Greg Farno, (Retired), Maryland Regional President, Truist
  • Chrissy Thornton, CEO, Associated Black Charities

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