State of Maryland Publishes Reinvest Baltimore Action Plan, Opens Applications for Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative
NEW CARROLLTON, MD (February 10, 2026) – The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development today published the Reinvest Baltimore Action Plan, which further operationalizes the city and state vacancy initiative into clear objectives, strategies, actions and performance indicators, including five-year annual redevelopment targets to track progress of Reinvest Baltimore. The Department also announced applications for the Fiscal Year 2027 round of the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative will open on February 18.
“The Reinvest Baltimore Action Plan reinforces measurable goals, strengthens coordination across partners, and ensures that every dollar invested moves us closer to whole blocks and whole neighborhoods coming back to life,” said Secretary Jake Day. “With this Action Plan and the opening of the second round of the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative, we are continuing to accelerate the transformation of vacant properties into lovable places and engines of growth and stability for communities across Baltimore City.”
The Reinvest Baltimore Action Plan reinforces the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council as a place for coordination, strategy alignment and transparency. The Action Plan further emphasizes the importance of whole block, whole neighborhood outcomes and the continued collaboration of the key partners to deliver on Governor Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott’s goals for vacancy reduction.
The report outlines key objectives for accomplishing measurable results, including capacity-building for Community Development Organizations and their partners, progress reporting standards, and leveraging the lending, real estate development and building sectors to scale investment and accelerate redevelopment of vacant property in priority areas to build new housing and other neighborhood resources.
“The Vacants crisis has plagued Baltimore since before I was born, but now, these partnerships are fueling progress towards ending this issue for good,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “We have already driven down vacants in Baltimore to their lowest levels in decades, but we must continue to accelerate our collective work alongside communities, our State partners, and the private sector. This Reinvest Baltimore Action Plan is a critically important tool, outlining the short- and long-term steps that will guide the BVRC partners as we collectively work to build on the momentum of our shared 15-year $3 Billion vision.”
The Department’s Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative provides $50 million annually to Baltimore City, Maryland Stadium Authority, and Baltimore City’s community-based development organizations to successfully redevelop properties in neighborhoods with a high number of vacant properties. The Fiscal Year 2027 application opening on February 18 will award funding to community-based development organizations that can demonstrate a clear, place-based plan to redevelop vacant properties.
While the FY27 round will continue to focus on scaling the renovation of vacant buildings on clusters of contiguous blocks, funds may also support the redevelopment of vacant lots for housing, mixed-use projects and green space to complement those efforts. In alignment with the Reinvest Baltimore Action Plan, property selection and redevelopment activities will reflect community priorities, build from community strengths and achieve whole block outcomes.
Investments through the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment initiative will be informed by the findings of Live Baltimore’s recently-released Analysis of Baltimore City’s Residential Market Potential conducted by Zimmerman/Volk Associates, a deliverable of the Reinvest Baltimore Action Plan. The report provides guidance on the types of housing to be built to capture renter and buyer households, informing neighborhood planning and redevelopment activities.
“As an organization dedicated to attracting new residents and retaining current ones, we are thrilled that our housing potential report will serve as a vital strategic tool for community developers, as well as State and City officials,” stated Meghan McCorkell, Executive Director of Live Baltimore. “A strong housing market is the cornerstone of thriving communities and essential for Baltimore’s future growth and prosperity.”
Reinvest Baltimore is a coordinated effort between the State of Maryland, Baltimore City, and nonprofit and for-profit partners to eliminate concentrations of vacant properties, revitalize neighborhoods and maximize the economic potential and quality of life for residents in Baltimore City. Created by Governor Executive Order, Reinvest Baltimore established the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council, which taps key community, corporate, philanthropic and government leaders to leverage targeted investments to move at least 5,000 vacant properties into homeownership or other positive outcomes over the next five years.
To learn more about Reinvest Baltimore, including the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council and the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative, visit our website.
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CONTACT:
Allison Foster, Director of Communications – allison.foster@maryland.gov
