Alice Kennedy has been appointed to lead Baltimore City’s Department of Housing and Community Development as the department’s permanent commissioner and chief executive, Mayor Brandon Scott announced Wednesday.
Kennedy has served as the Baltimore housing department’s acting commissioner since August 2020, when former mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young fired Baltimore’s previous housing commissioner, Michael Braverman, over a planned tax sales agreement with the nonprofit Southwest Partnership. The agreement would have given the nonprofit preferential rights to tax-delinquent properties on behalf of private developers, Baltimore Brew reported.
Following Braverman’s departure from the department, Kennedy took on the role of acting commissioner, which she has served in for more than a year.
“I’m pleased to announce the selection of our new housing commissioner, Alice Kennedy,” Scott said in a statement. “I’ve come to rely on her expertise, community relationships, and genuine commitment to bringing the best out of Baltimore’s neighborhoods. She has my full support and confidence to achieve my vision for a more equitable Baltimore.”
Kennedy said she is “filled with gratitude” for being named the city’s new housing commissioner.
“I thank Mayor Scott and his leadership team for selecting me for this critical post,” Kennedy said in a statement. “I am prepared to lead and transform this Agency, working with the Mayor’s team to deliver superior service for residents and businesses. We will maximize the opportunity to transform our unique Baltimore neighborhoods equitably and provide our residents with quality housing and neighborhood amenities while working to retain and grow our population. “I look forward to working with my terrific DHCD team to achieve these goals and to build on the achievements of this Administration.”
In her new permanent role, Kennedy will oversee the implementation of equitable development; affordable, quality housing; and a modernized permitting system, city officials said.
Kennedy’s immediate priorities will be hiring a full-time equity officer, who will help rectify housing and community inequities; reforming the city’s permitting process; working with staff to advance community projects; addressing the intersection of health and housing; and implementing strategies to “reduce displacement, ignite revitalization, and prevent further blight,” city officials said.
Ted Carter, deputy mayor for economic development, praised Kennedy’s ability to collaborate with communities to enact innovative solutions.
“Commissioner Kennedy emerged as the strongest candidate from a compelling field of local and national candidates,” Carter said in a statement. “In the five months that I’ve worked with Commissioner Kennedy, she has impressed me with her commitment to community, executive collaboration and execution, and openness to new ideas. I look forward to partnering with her to advance the Mayor’s pillar goal of equitable neighborhood development as well as making DHCD a world class community development and housing organization.”
During the city government’s announcement in May 2021 of a $9.6 million commitment to repairing a modifying older Baltimoreans’ homes, Kennedy advocated for city and community partners having a responsibility to care for older residents.
“Quality of life is something that we all strive for … I believe it’s our social responsibility to ensure the quality of life for our older adults and our elders in our community,” Kennedy said. “They have given so much and we have so much more to give to them.”
Kennedy joined the housing department in 2016 as the deputy commissioner for homeownership and housing preservation.
In the deputy role, Kennedy oversaw several housing-related programs and initiatives, including the city’s Weatherization Program, Lead Hazard Reduction Program, Office of Rehabilitation Services, Office of Homeownership, Tax Sale Prevention Coordinator, Summer Food Program, Baltimore Energy Challenge, and Baltimore Energy Initiative.
