Healthy Homes that Change Communities
We rebuild some of Baltimore’s worst abandoned houses into some of its best homes—at a scale that transforms entire neighborhoods.
The Abandoned Housing Crisis in Baltimore
Baltimore is home to tens of thousands of abandoned properties and vacant lots, each one threatening the health and safety of nearby residents and sapping wealth from their neighborhoods. By partnering with communities and strategically working block-by-block to restore concentrations of these properties into new homes and community assets, we transform neighborhoods into inclusive, equitable, and healthy communities where families have access to high quality housing that drives generational wealth.
Rebuilding Homes, Block-by-Block
By partnering with communities and strategically working block-by-block to rebuild concentrations of abandoned properties into new homes, we transform neighborhoods into inclusive, equitable, and healthy communities where people and families have access to decent housing that drives generational wealth. We also form partnerships to redevelop large areas of vacant land into high-quality affordable apartments, including almost 200 affordable homes that we have co-developed along East Baltimore’s Greenmount Avenue corridor. ReBUILD’s persistent efforts to rebuild East Baltimore blocks and neighborhoods proves that the abandonment crisis can be solved at the neighborhood level without any displacement.
A Community-Driven Approach
ReBUILD works closely with local residents to develop action plans for restoring abandoned properties and lots across their neighborhoods. Using these plans as guideposts, we pool vacant properties and financial resources, then engage local contractors to sequentially stabilize, renovate, and reoccupy whole blocks of abandoned homes and lots. We sell renovated homes to new homebuyers or lease them at rents that are affordable to a range of households. Our proven “whole blocks” strategy has reduced local vacancies by over 90% and attracted over 1,200 new residents to Baltimore neighborhoods while retaining and uplifting their current residents, fostering stronger and safer communities.
Good Homes Change Lives
ReBUILD’s Work is Inspiring People Across Baltimore to Think Big about the Potential of our City
