BUILD

Thanks to all who joined us in West Baltimore today for our third neighborhood walk, starting at Macedonia Baptist Church. Great to talk to neighbors about issues they want to address, the need for quality recreation opportunities, & the impact of abandoned housing. ._bernardines

Grateful to all who joined us and to Westport Community Association & for hosting tonight’s Westport neighborhood walk. We heard stories about the impact of vacant homes & absentee landlords, especially HC-Baltimore LLC, which owns 80+ properties here.

JPMorgan Chase invests millions into non-profits to stabilize housing supply in Baltimore The $4 million Investment into 9 local non-profits is one step closer to eliminating more vacant houses in Baltimore City and revitalizing neighborhoods.

Grateful for the time & energy of the more than 30 leaders knocking on doors and talking to neighbors in the Franklin Square & Fayette Street Outreach neighborhoods today. Powerful stories about the impact of vacant housing & illegal dumping in the neighborhood. Thanks to Greater Harvest Baptist Church for hosting!

Productive BUILD Clergy Caucus this morning, taking stock of the last 2.5 years of organizing & preparing for the work ahead. Thank you Koinonia Baptist & Pastor .k.miles for hosting!

Thank you to the Fines and Fees Justice Center!

Maryland is erasing more than $13 million in unpaid parole debt Gov. Wes Moore announced that the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services will cancel millions of unpaid parole debts for more than 6,700 people.

“With billions of dollars coming, Baltimore and Maryland leaders prepare to ramp up acquisition of vacant houses,” via The Baltimore Sun

With billions of dollars coming, Baltimore and Maryland leaders prepare to ramp up acquisition of vacant houses Baltimore and Maryland leaders shared optimism about tackling the city’s vacant housing crisis Sunday afternoon at a West Baltimore church.

THANK YOU to the close to 600 leaders who joined us tonight at to celebrate and talk about the hard work ahead to end the crisis of vacant & abandoned housing in Baltimore. Grateful to be joined by , State DHCD Secretary , Secretary Scruggs, and others. We talked about the importance of shared leadership, shared values, & production to see this through. More photos soon! Special thanks to !

Looking forward to filling this space tomorrow — October 6th — from 3-5pm. Huge thank you to for hosting!

This is a big step forward. Joint statement below from BUILD Co-Chair Leslie McMillan & Turnaround Tuesday Executive Director Melvin Wilson:

"Gov. Moore and Secretary Scruggs' actions lift an unfair burden for thousands of returning citizens on parole across Maryland. In 2023, BUILD and Turnaround listened to hundreds of people who were directly affected by these fees and their associated debts. BUILD and Turnaround Tuesday then spearheaded the advocacy to introduce and pass HB 531 -- working closely with legislators like Del. Embry, Del. Clippinger, Sen. Carter, and Sen. Smith as well as with allies. Today's announcement marks a significant milestone, removing barriers to reentry and highlighting the importance of BUILD and Turnaround Tuesday's organizing efforts."

Maryland is erasing more than $13 million in unpaid parole debt Gov. Wes Moore announced that the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services will cancel millions of unpaid parole debts for more than 6,700 people.

Great photos from earlier in the day at Turnaround Tuesday with the visit by and Secretary Carolyn Scruggs from on the day parole fees were ended statewide in Maryland. Photo credit to ’s office.

An historic afternoon in Southwest Baltimore today as signed an executive order that will launch the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council & “Reinvest Baltimore” with BUILD, , , , , .

Here’s BUILD’s official statement on the announcement. Rev. George Hopkins, a clergy co-chair of BUILD (Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development), said, “Today marks a pivotal moment for Baltimore and the State of Maryland as Gov. Moore takes decisive action to end the crisis of vacant and abandoned housing in our city. We know the work ahead of us will be difficult as we confront the legacies of redlining and disinvestment in Baltimore. But we have real hope because of the state’s historic investments during the last legislative session, because of its commitment to an unprecedented partnership that brings together state, city, community, and business leaders, and because of the collective emphasis on measurable results. This kind of bold leadership will be necessary to transform whole blocks, shrink the racial wealth gap, and build an equitable city that prioritizes community voices.”

Photo credit to & .

WHAT A MORNING! Turnaround Tuesday was joined by and Secretary Carolyn Scruggs from on the day parole fees were ended in Maryland, eliminating a key barrier to reentry that was identified by Turnaround Tuesday leaders as a priority. More news soon!

Today, October 1st, parole fees in Maryland have ended! Join us in celebrating & thanking those who made it possible—particularly BUILD & Turnaround Tuesday leaders & allies who pushed in Annapolis and Del. Luke Clippinger &

This past week in Irvington, religious congregations, neighborhood organizations, and residents gathered together at St Joseph’s Monastery to plan for action. Looking forward to the work ahead.

Congratulations Re-Build Johnston Square & Rebuild Metro! Great coverage of yesterday’s progress in Johnston Square!

Developer unveils new housing for teachers in Baltimore Blighted row houses in East Baltimore have been rehabilitated into affordable units where 15 international teachers are now living onsite.

Evaluating a productive meeting yesterday with Secretary Carolyn Scruggs and leaders from BUILD & Turnaround Tuesday. On October 1st, parole fees & fees for alcohol & drug testing in Maryland will be ended. We discussed implementation & other key issues.

Great afternoon door knocking with Sandtown Wi******er Community Collective, talking to long-time homeowners in the Nehemiah homes in Sandtown.

Productive BUILD clergy caucus yesterday as we prepare for public action in October.

Huge thank you to the France-Merrick Foundation for making this progress possible!

Check out the coverage in The Baltimore Sun of today’s press conference focused on Chinquapin Run Park.

Chinquapin Run Park in Northeast Baltimore receives $270K investment A new 1.8-mile multi-use trail through Chinquapin Run Park will be designed thanks to a $270,000 in fundraising from the nonprofit Rails to Trails Conservancy.

WHAT A DAY! 180+ faith & community leaders from BUILD, NECO (& its coalition of 20 neighborhood orgs), and Rails to Trails Conservancy united this morning to kickstart Chinquapin Run Park's revitalization in Northeast Baltimore. Big thanks to all who came out & to Baltimore Recnparks, Councilman Mark Conway, Delegate Elizabeth Embry, & Comptroller Bill Henry for your support! And especially thanks to the Morgan State University Magnificent Marching Machine for their music & dancing to get the day started!