Gov. Wes Moore announced $50.8 million in awards to revitalize Baltimore City’s neighborhoods. The Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative (BVRI) provided the awards to reduce the number of vacant buildings across the city.This is a historic acceleration of funding to rehabilitate vacant properties, committed to in the State’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The award will clear the way to create more affordable housing, new green spaces, and mixed-use developments in Baltimore City.“In order for it to be Maryland’s decade, it has to be Baltimore’s time,” Moore said. “This historic investment through the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative will transform the City of Baltimore by addressing vacancy brick by brick and block by block.”The Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative is one of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s seven State Revitalization Programs that provides funding to public, private and nonprofit partners in Baltimore City. The initiative was established in October 2024 via executive order. It encourages all community stakeholders to help turn at least 5,000 vacant properties in the city into homeownership, or demolition and stabilization by Fiscal Year 2029.“The $50.8 million in funding through the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative is a key component of the Moore-Miller Administration’s plan to build a stronger Baltimore by converting the city’s vacant buildings into new homes and lovable spaces,” said Jake Day, secretary of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. “This funding will allow our local government and non-profit partners the ability to create stronger neighborhoods by increasing home ownership, adding more commercial space and creating new public spaces to make Baltimore better.”The awardees receiving funding include the Maryland Stadium Authority ($9 million) to purchase properties for demolition, stabilization, rehabilitation, and reuse; Druid Hill Partnership Inc., ($2.15 million) for the stabilization and rehabilitation of several residential properties near Druid Hill Park, Reservoir Hill, West North Avenue and Penn North neighborhoods; the Southeast Community Development Corporation ($1.5 million) to purchase and stabilize the Crown Cork & Seal site on Eastern Avenue to rehabilitate it for mixed-use live and work artist use, and more.The complete list of awardees is available on the DHCD website.“The State’s BVRI program is integral to achieving Mayor Scott’s goal of restoring vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods throughout the city,” said Alice Kennedy, commissioner for Baltimore City Housing. “The BVRI funds directly support the City’s $3 billion plan to reduce vacant properties, and with this support, we can continue and expand our work to accomplish whole block outcomes and build stronger, more inclusive communities.”The BVRI is part of Reinvest Baltimore, a coordinated effort between the State of Maryland, Baltimore City, and nonprofit and for-profit partners to help revitalize neighborhoods by eliminating clusters of vacant properties. This allows residents a chance to maximize their economic potential and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.