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 QUARTERLY UPDATE VOLUME II - Issue 3
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I am pleased to share an update on our work that is underway. We continue to devote significant time and resources to adapting operations to mitigate COVID-19 related risks, and innovating to address the unprecedented challenges surfacing due to the economic hardships exacerbated by COVID-19. At the same time, we are managing to forge ahead with some of our most critical work in community development and affordable housing. As always, it is our dedicated team and committed partners, that are making all of this possible.
DHCD has played an active role in the City’s emergency response to COVID-19, highlights include:
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Addressing food insecurity: DHCD partnered with City Schools, Recreation & Parks, the Family League, and other community partners to make sure children and families, older adults and other food-insecure residents have access to free meals during the coronavirus outbreak. By immediately activating our Summer Food infrastructure to provide emergency meal services, DHCD was able to help deliver close to 2 million meals to date, with distribution to 42 recreation centers and 24 stops along five mobile meal routes. Learn more.
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Increasing hospital-bed capacity: We helped expedite the building of a new 32-bed, acute-care unit at Baltimore’s own Mercy Medical Center. In response to the Governor's call to increase hospital bed capacity, Mercy was the first hospital in the state to seek and receive Emergency Certificate of Need approval from the Maryland Health Care Commission to construct an entirely new hospital unit. DHCD was able to support this critically important project with essential permitting and inspections work. As a result, Mercy was able to build a new $12.5 million state-of-the-art unit in a record time of 59 days. The project began on March 23 and opened on June 1.
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Tackling housing instability: In response to the Mayor's call, DHCD is leading the effort to help renters who have lost income because of COVID-19. Mayor Young approved the use of $13 million in Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 funds for rent relief. DHCD then developed and launched a Temporary Rent Support program designed to mitigate the anticipated wave of evictions that could follow the lifting of the State’s eviction moratorium. The program will pay household rent for April, May, and June. DHCD received technical assistance to help develop the program from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, providing us with the force multiplier we needed to move as quickly as the circumstances required, by supporting the work of an exceptional consultant to work with our leadership team on the program design and implementation. The application portal closed July 19. Applications are being processed with the additional assistance of the Mayor's Office of Human Services and the Planning Department. In addition, DHCD is supporting scaled-up legal services to tenants. The Mayor's Office of Human Services and the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services will ramp up eviction prevention and homeless prevention services with the assistance of funds we requested from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Commission.
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Supporting restaurant economic recovery: Following the Coronavirus outbreak, local restaurants could not provide sit-down service for more than two months. The phased reopening of the City allowed for outdoor seating with the proper permits. In response, DHCD launched the Outdoor Seating Relief Program, allowing restaurants to quickly set up outdoor dining. In less than a week, DHCD’s Technology and Information team programmed our e-permits portal to enable applicants to apply and pay for special permits online and also created a permit approval workflow process. By the end of the first day of the new online process, DHCD received 55 online applications. As of late-July, DHCD approved 114 applications.
Our continued progress in other areas is highlighted below. I also want to share our understandably delayed 2019 Annual Report, wrapping up our priority work and accomplishments in the past calendar year. As always, I look forward to our continued work together.
Sincerely,
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Access to quality affordable housing is an essential tenet of our equitable community development agenda. In late January, DHCD reached an agreement on a Spending Allocation Plan with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) Commissioners, identifying the production of affordable housing through Community Land Trust (CLT) initiatives, new construction, rental preservation, senior homeownership repairs, rent supplements, and Choice Neighborhoods as priorities.
Consistent with the spending plan, two NOFAs (Notice of Funding Availability) have recently been released:
New Construction/Preservation of Existing Rental Housing – up to $2 million has been made available from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) to support new construction of affordable rental housing and rehabilitation of existing rental projects for affordable housing. The goal is to help preserve and improve the current baseline of affordable rental units and to support the construction of new, quality, affordable housing across a range of communities and ensure that development prioritizes residents with the greatest needs.
Community Land Trusts - Single Family Homeownership – DHCD is presently processing public comments for a NOFA to be issued for Community Land Trust (CLT) Single Family Homeownership. Qualified applicants will be able to request up to $750,000 per project. CLTs are a nationally proven means of creating homeownership opportunities for households earning 50 percent or less of the Area Median Income. Under the land trust model, a nonprofit organization owns the land and sells it to qualified buyers at a below-market price. The land trust’s ownership ensures that the home will remain affordable for 99 years. When buyers purchase a home from the land trust, they agree to sell the home to a low-income household and split the equity with the land trust. In cities with significant racial disparities, land trusts can be valuable tools used to close the wealth and equity gap.
We are excited that these funds are starting to flow into the marketplace with the specific purpose of providing affordable housing. Our work through the AHTF is poised to stimulate local economic development and contribute to the economic recovery of Baltimore city. Learn more.
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Developer Artspace Projects, Inc., continues its revitalization efforts on the Liberty Heights Commercial Corridor.
Artspace recently secured a $250,000 appropriation from the Capital Grants Bill for pre-development work and received a $75,000 grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF). Quinn Evans Architects - a thriving, multi-faceted team with a national impact - has also been tapped to serve as the architectural team.
The redevelopment of the Ambassador is Artspace's first project in Baltimore. In 2016, with strong community support, DHCD placed the Howard Park property in a code enforcement receivership, and stabilized the structure in anticipation of future development opportunities. Artspace, a Minneapolis-based national nonprofit that has developed over 50 art spaces across the country, submitted the winning bid for the theater at the receivership auction in 2019.
Artspace plans to redevelop the Howard Park property into a vibrant arts hub. Potential uses for the building include commercial/retail, performance art, event space, gallery space, nonprofit organizations, studios, and live/work artist housing.
DHCD congratulates Artspace on the forward movement of this exciting and historic project.
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Leveraging transformative investment in under-invested communities is a priority for DHCD. The Park Heights neighborhood, identified as an Impact Investment Area in our Community Development Framework, is on the cusp of long-awaited transformative change, and our closing with Penrose, LLC., to help finance Renaissance Row Apartments, a multifamily, affordable housing development right on Park Heights Avenue, represents that long-awaited shift to investment.
A financing package, including $2.15 million in an Affordable Housing Program Bond and $1 million in a Video Lottery Slots Funds loan, was approved by the Baltimore City Board of Estimates for the Renaissance Row Apartments. Currently a site of vacant, City-owned property, the development, when completed, will rent to tenants with incomes at or below 50 percent and 60 percent of the Area Median Income, adjusted for family size.
The development represents an investment of more than $21 million into the Park Heights neighborhood, including equity of more than $6.7 million from low-income housing tax credits. Located at 4301 Park Heights Avenue and 4300 Pimlico Road, the building will contain a mix of 42 one-bedroom units, 35 two-bedroom units, and seven three-bedroom units. Additionally, over 2,000 square feet of office space will serve as the new home of the community nonprofit, Park Heights Renaissance.
DHCD prepared the site for development in partnership with our State partners, utilizing Project C.O.R.E. (Creating Opportunities for Renewal and Enterprise) funds. Penrose, LLC, a national developer of affordable housing, is the sponsor of Renaissance Row.
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DHCD is partnering with the Health Department, Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success, Recreation and Parks, and non-profit Civic Works to help our more vulnerable citizens stay cool this summer. Our Rehabilitation and Repairs Office is leading the installation of 1,200 air-conditioning units for the City’s elderly residents.
The Health Department disbursed $1.2 million of federal money from the CARES Act to purchase the air conditioning units and 25,000 fans. Civic Works is distributing the fans.
Through Code Red Extreme Heat — a multi-agency effort addressing the impact of extreme heat — the City educates residents about the effects of sustained heat and shares information about energy assistance programs for older residents through Community Action Partnership Centers. The Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success and the Health Department are assisting eligible residents with completing energy assistance applications.
Additionally, this summer, the City is modifying its cooling center plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. City cooling centers will open when deemed safe to do so and will enforce appropriate social distancing practices.
Residents can call the Health Department’s Maryland Access Point at 410-396-2273, for more information. Learn more.
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DHCD thanks Reginald "Reggie" Scriber, Deputy Commissioner, Community Services, for his many years of service to the City of Baltimore.
Mr. Scriber recently retired following a 50-plus-year career working for the City. At DHCD, Mr. Scriber most recently oversaw community outreach, emergency operations, relocation, and weather-related responses for the City.
We appreciate Mr. Scriber's contributions to the City of Baltimore and his dedication to city residents.
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