Breaking the Fourth Wall, Hon: Week of June 9

Today we continue the weekly "Breaking the Fourth Wall" series that directs the blog's spotlight toward a particularly innovative or promising affordable housing project, luminary, or organization. 

Good Morning, Baltimore!

Like many of the interesting issues covered by this blog, today's Breaking the Fourth Wall post is inspired by Professor Kaid Benfield's article in the The Atlantic Cities and an informative public radio interview. The abandoned buildings in Baltimore, the often-overlooked gem overshadowed by other East Coast cities, are undergoing a remarkable transformation and the mayor's office has implemented its Vacants to Value program to encourage a diverse array of Baltimoreans to partake in the city's new chapter. Vacants to Value is unlike many other ambitious citywide redevelopment projects because it focuses on small scale development, small businesses, and smart growth to avoid the common gentrification pitfall of resident displacement.

Image Credit: Baltimore Sun 

Community Enterprise, Community Effort 

The crux of the Vacants to Value program is the encouragement of the purchase and subsequent rehabilitation of many of Baltimore's more than 16,000 blighted properties. In order to stave off the risk of large-scale developers buying properties and charging unaffordable rents, the program is sponsoring a series of community workshops. These workshops teach local residents about buying vacant properties in the hopes that locals will comprise the vast majority of new homeowners. The program is also aimed at facilitating the purchase of individual units in multifamily and mixed-income buildings and creating incentives for buyers to rent out rehabilitated units at affordable rates below market value (a pleasant surprise in an otherwise market-driven initiative). 

Restoring the Charm to "Charm City"

Baltimore is known to those who love it (and even to some of its detractors) as "Charm City" and the Vacant to Values program is committed to preserving the historic charm- think comely brick row houses and, yes, even formstone. Maryland offers impressive historic property tax credits, including a 20% credit for owner-occupied "certified historic structures", and many homeowners are using these credits to make improvements to formerly deserted neighborhoods. 

Banking on the Land Bank

Vacants to Value extends beyond the transformation of Baltimore's distressed buildings. In the unfortunate cases where abandoned properties have to be demolished, the program effectively establishes a land bank, with vacant lots to be used for greenbelts, public parks, and community gardens. Professor Benfield expresses reservations about the program's commitment to sustainability and the land bank element is the best opportunity for Vacants to Value to contribute to Baltimore's green future. 

Image Credit: Maryland Housing 

Though Vacants to Value is a program experiencing growing pains and many skeptics question the likelihood that program will be able remain committed to providing affordable and mixed-income housing in the face of market forces, it represents a conscientious citywide effort to create a more

livable community that can be accessed by residents of all income brackets. Baltimore is a city on the move that still retains a strong local flavor and hopefully Vacants to Value will provide the opportunity for those who stuck by Baltimore during tougher times to enjoy the city's charming new chapter.