The issue

Baltimore City’s abundance of vacant homes harbor communities of crime, dilapidation and hopelessness.

The city government struggles to overcome the safety hazards and financial burden of these houses and lots. Filling abandoned properties in the city will help solve many other social and financial issues.

Baltimore has a plan.

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Stories

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SELLING VACANT BALTIMORE PROPERTIES TO REVERSE DECAY OF DYING NEIGHBORHOODS

Baltimore, like most cities, experienced population decline that left properties vastly abandoned. Vacancy lends itself to disrepair, public safety hazards and issues of crime and vagrancy. Reversing the dilapidation and blight of Baltimore is important to Mayor Rawlings-Blake.  MORE

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BALTIMORE’S VACANTS TO VALUE SOLD TWELVE HOMES AND AWARDED SEVEN MORE

The Vacants to Value program is successfully selling homes through its Website. With community partners like One House at a Time and Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors, the current Baltimore City government is making a dent in the numbers of vacant homes.  MORE

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DESPITE SMALL SUCCESSES IN RECENT MONTHS, BALTIMORE STRUGGLES AGAINST DECADES OF VACANCY

Little Africa, Baltimore is a community that has struggled with vacant homes. More important than physically vacant properties are the effects of blight on communities and Baltimore residents that have remained through population decline and mass abandonment.  MORE

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Multimedia

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INFOGRAPHICS

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Baltimore has a significant number of vacant homes. A large portion of them will not be rehabilitated because they are in areas that are not marketable for housing. These infographics give a visual representation of the vacancy issue in Baltimore City.  MORE

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VIDEO

Urban blight is a term found in numerous text books and documents about housing and other urban issues. John Bullock, a professor of poltical science and an ex-city planner discusses the term urban blight and how it affects residents living in “blighted” neighborhoods.  MORE

MAP

As of March 4, this is the map displaying the Vacants to Value properties. This includes the few that have been awarded, pending and sold. This map gives a good idea of the concentration of vacant properties that Baltimore Housing has deemed salvageable.  MORE

PHOTO GALLERY

The house at 914 Whitelock Street was one scheduled for auction on April 5. No bids were offered for this shell that sits between another vacant and a row of newly renovated townhomes. This gallery of photographs illustrate a transitional neighborhood with scattered vacants.  MORE

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TOUR

A lot of the vacants are in a state of serious disrepair. They are missing roofs, floors, walls, doors and more. The structure is compromised and the ammeneties are non-existent. This short video clip gives you an idea of the state of some of the vacant homes for sale through Vacants to Value.  MORE

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