Baltimore is considered the birthplace of redlining, the racist practice that barred Black residents and other minority communities from buying homes in certain parts of the city.
Started in the early 20th century, redlining isn’t “ancient history,” said Mayor Brandon Scott. Its effects continue to reverberate throughout this hypersegregated city a century later.
“It’s visible right now on every block marked by vacants, every neighborhood with unequal opportunity, and every family still blocked from owning a home,” he said. “Reckoning with the truth of our city’s history is one thing; taking action to right these wrongs is another.”
On Monday, Scott and members of the Baltimore City Council will introduce a package of five bills that would allow for the construction and conversion of more multi-family housing through changes to building and zoning codes.
The bills would:
- Permit certain residential buildings to have a single exit (Council Bill 25-0062)
- Transfer the Office of Zoning Administrator from the city’s housing department to the city’s planning department (Council Bill 25-0063)
- Amend certain bulk and yard requirements in residential zoning districts (Council Bill 25-0064)
- Eliminate minimum requirements for off-street parking spaces and set certain parking maximums (Council Bill 25-0065)
- Promote development of low-density multi-family dwellings, allowing single-family dwellings to be converted into multi-family dwellings, and other changes (Council Bill 26-0066)
“The bills being introduced today are the first modest step to correcting course, allowing not 20, 30 or 40, but just two, three or four dwellings where segregationists decided that only one could exist,” said Councilman Ryan Dorsey, one of the bills’ sponsors. “Allowing not 20, 30 or 40 stories, but just four, five or six to become practically possible and affordable to construct in those places where we already say that building height is allowed. Allowing 5, 10, or 15 families’ housing needs to be met without making automobile storage a necessary condition. Allowing families to modestly expand their homes to create a little more square footage as the family expands.”
Rian Hargrave, founder of Onyx Development, recalled that in 2021 she was seeking to renovate eight units in the 300 block of North Gilmore Street in southwest Baltimore. She wanted to convert some of the single-unit dwellings – some as large as four stories above grade – into two-unit dwellings.
“When I attempted to start that process of getting two units in that dwelling, I was met with parking requirements that I could not meet despite ample street parking on the block,” Hargrave said. “It ended up being such an arduous and expensive process that I did not pursue it. I’m now renovating those homes for a single family. It’s a beautiful – I call it a mini mansion – but it’s well more than what a lot of people could really use here.”
Baltimore’s population has been in general decline for more than 70 years. But earlier this year, census estimates showed that between July 2023 and July 2024 the city’s population grew for the first time since 2014.
Between 5,300 and 7,100 households would rent or buy new or renovated Baltimore homes if they were available – in addition to the households that are already renting or buying units, according to a study commissioned by Live Baltimore.
“The issue is the housing they want doesn’t exist in the numbers that we need,” Scott said. “This bill directly addresses that challenge. It will allow Lottie, Dottie and everybody to find a home in Baltimore that meets their needs.”
The city must also plan to accommodate an aging population, said Council President Zeke Cohen.
“We know that that Baby Boomer generation, they are starting to retire and resign,” Cohen said. “It is critically important that they be able to age in place with dignity and with respect.”
Multi-family housing in which one generation lives in one unit while an elder lives in another unit within the same home could be a solution that balances independence and access to needed resources, the city officials said.
Scott acknowledged that some community members may worry about how code changes will affect them, especially many of the legacy Black residents who fought so hard to become homeowners despite the systems set up against them. But the mayor emphasized that these bills are not meant to push out existing residents, rather they will make housing more affordable and accessible for both new and current community members.
“What we see today in many parts of Baltimore are enclaves of Black excellence and success built in spite of exclusion and injustice,” he said. “So I want to be very clear, this is not about pushing anyone out of their neighborhood, especially those who live in those enclaves of Black excellence. This is not about erasing what you’ve built. This isn’t something we’re trying to do to you. It’s something that we want to do with you.”
Scott said the city plans to hold community meetings throughout the city to answer questions and gain feedback from the public. Details about those meetings will be announced.
About darn time!! Happy to see change enacted.
Abundant Housing is poorly executed.. and the Real Property Owners- have not been properly notified of any changes. This is an issue not centered around the quality of life and effort to keep safe established neighborhoods- from becoming just a source of income from absentee landlords. IT should be on a BALLOT for neighbors to vote on.. and issues of infrastructure for density addresses honestly
As long as there is a drug problem Baltimore City will never be restored to its former glory
Ryan Dorsey is name calling, labeling long time residents “segregationists,” one of his thinly veiled code for racists, because we love our gentrified quiet city neighborhood. It’s insulting that these politicians are mouthing about “aging gracefully” as it is no more than poorly hidden covert age discrimination against Baltimorons like myself who have been (and continue to) pay these increasing property taxes, which are based on land size and house condition, not on the number of people living there. I paid the same taxes when I was single, married, married with children, and now as a widowed empty nester. I have two words in return, thinly veiled.
If there is going to be stable housing for the residents then the Housing Authority or whomever is responsible for sending out update notices to the community needs to make sure landlords are notified in advance giving them an opportunity to mail out the addendum to the residents and then give them an opportunity to express their concerns on the matter of how they should be notified of changes made to their lease. This seems like a case of loopholes only to benefit the corporations involved and not looking out for the best interest of the people whom they serve.
Julie
Passing this bill was cemented by other Councilmen in an act “they”- label as “councilmania”, to support Ryan Dorsey’s plans for the NE corridor. WE as a majority in Lauraville ran a survey which showed over 60% did NOT embrace Abundant Housing by its new name “the Overlay Bill”. A bill which is a blanket plan for many neighborhoods without their consent, OR legal notification. Many still have no idea how or what this plan entails. The Mayor repeats to the public the same rhetoric Mr Dorsey has expressed for “years on density”, as to solve the housing problems of Baltimore City. The Mayor needs to clean up his mess in-town and there would be plenty of homes/apartments available. This is an attack on property owners and a false narrative, that one shoe fits all.