The Foundation encourages programs and projects that improve the appeal of Baltimore as a place to live, visit and do business, anchor and spur public and private investment in redevelopment, and expand the business and job base of Baltimore City. The Foundation recognizes the need to enhance the livability of neighborhoods and create desirable housing and commercial areas as a means to retain and attract both residents and jobs.

By encouraging investment in redevelopment projects and housing renovations, leveraging of public and private capital, community planning and maximizing reuse of historic structures, the

Foundation focuses on those initiatives that foster improvement of downtown and neighborhoods. It further seeks to promote cost-efficient delivery of

Midtown Benefits District sanitation staff cleaning upeviction chattel from Biddle Street in December, 2006 before the Clean Streets law was passed.

municipal services, maximize Baltimore's use of competitive funding sources and increase the tax base. The Foundation also encourages efforts to tie the health of the City to the region and state, through the support of housing mobility, regional planning and growth management.

Areas of interest include:

• neighborhood revitalization
  
  
• downtown reinvestment
  
  
• vacant house renovation
  
  
• home ownership investment and preservation
  
  
• community planning and facilities
  
  
• regional problem-solving
  
  
• growth management
  
  
• heritage tourism
  
  
• alternative financial services
  
  
• energy-efficiency, green building and sustainable development
  
  
• efficient delivery of City services
  
  
• immigrant community support and advocacy
  
  
• community green space and tree planting

Learn more about the community development initiatives funded by The Abell Foundation by visiting Publications/Research. More information is also available in our Highlights below.

Community Development Highlights

Arundel Habitat
In 2006, The Abell Foundation provided a $40,000 two-year grant to Arundel Habitat to encourage them to turn their attention to three streets in Brooklyn, just across the Baltimore City line from Anne Arundel County where they had operated for 18 years. Since the grant was approved, Arundel Habitat exceeded expectations by raising funding for and completing renovations of a total of 20 vacant houses in Brooklyn and selling each house to a low-income household with no-interest, fixed payment mortgages. The Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development subsequently transferred 16 vacant, City-owned properties in the same neighborhood to Arundel Habitat and The Abell Foundation provided a second grant to support redevelopment and resale.

Ashoka/Community Greens
Baltimore may well be one of the first cities in the country to allow the creation of mini-parks, collectively owned and managed by neighbors whose homes surround the proposed green spaces. A petition for gating/greening must first be supported by 80 percent of the homeowners. Then the lengthy approval process begins. Ashoka is providing the training of neighborhood leaders and staff of neighborhood organizations and raising the awareness of the potential impact these projects can have. It is anticipated that crime rates will decrease, home values increase, and environmental environs improve. The first Green Alley Tour was held as part of Baltimore Green Week in April 2008.

Astor Court Apartments
For many years, The Abell Foundation has supported educational reform, introduced new curriculum and enrichment programs, encouraged alternative teacher certification, and emphasized the importance of teacher and principal recruitment in efforts to improve the quality of education for Baltimore City public school students. One of the most important determinants of increased student achievement is the quality of classroom teachers. Teachers new to the system often report being overwhelmed with the demands of their new jobs and lacking support for professional development. With modest beginning salaries, new teachers also have limited options in the housing market. Since the retention rate for new teachers is low, there is a continual need to hire a large number of new teachers each year. The challenge for the Baltimore City Public School System is to attract the best, brightest and most capable teachers into the schools. The Abell Foundation conceived of constructing apartments for teachers as a way to encourage new teachers to consider Baltimore over other cities and equally, as a retention tool to help support new teachers in their first years of teaching.

Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers
A joint project of the Baltimore Neighborhood Collaborative and Aging Affinity Group, the Neighborhoods for All Ages is a collaborative effort among funders to address issues preventing seniors from remaining in their homes and being productive participants in their communities. The project offers outreach and home visitation assessment and referral to link seniors to available services and benefits and home repair grants to address home safety, comfort, accessibility and energy savings. The project is designed to assist 50 older residents in two neighborhoods for each of two years.

Baltimore City Heritage Area - National Heritage Area Management Plan
Baltimore has a rich historic past that is under-recognized and under marketed nationally and internationally. Designation as a National Heritage Area (NHA) by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior would give the city's attractions an internationally recognized brand that denotes an area's unique historic significance and substance. Baltimore lags far behind other cities in accessing federal National Park Service (NPS) funds in support of their tourism and marketing efforts. The National Heritage Area Management Plan will be submitted this fall and, if approved, would give Baltimore up to $1 million annually in federal funding and additional tourist product development and marketing technical assistance support.

Baltimore Neighborhood Collaborative
In the last several years, real estate values have risen in a number of Baltimore’s previously undervalued housing markets, giving homeowners the opportunity to realize gains in wealth as well as adding to the city’s tax base. The Baltimore Neighborhood Collaborative provides support for nonprofit organizations that provide pre and post purchase homeownership counseling, financial counseling and legal assistance, and targeted housing development. This support strengthens community development organizations working within targeted Baltimore neighborhoods to provide assistance to households at risk of or facing foreclosure.

Belair-Edison Neighborhoods, Inc.
For years housing values in Belair-Edison were stagnant, or falling, despite Baltimore City’s upward trend. Plagued by high numbers of foreclosures, BENI has developed quality homeownership and foreclosure counseling services. BENI is a leader in community-based marketing and outreach through direct and mass mailings, community banners, and block-level outreach. This direct marketing has convinced families to come to BENI’s office and get assistance with their mortgage issues. BENI is expanding its reach to the larger Northeast Baltimore region by partnering with CDCs that do not have counseling capacity and by connecting with renters residing in Belair-Edison who are future homeowners.

Brooklyn and Curtis Bay Coalition
To encourage new opportunities for affordable homeownership, the Coalition worked with the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development to assemble contiguous lots and demolish obsolete structures. To maximize green elements in new construction and to ensure that consideration was given at the beginning of the design phase, the Abell Foundation made a $5,000 grant for training and education of the architect and contractor bidders on green building processes and materials, as well as management of a design/build Request for Proposals process for the project. Eight rowhouses will be completed in 2008 incorporating green features of energy-efficient panelized walls and optimized insulation, solar hot water heaters, green roofs, high efficiency HVAC, low VOC paints and carpet and Energy Star appliances. This is the first newly constructed housing in Brooklyn in decades and the first newly constructed green affordable rowhouses in the City.

Citizens Planning and Housing Association
CPHA, in collaboration the Greater Baltimore Urban League, ACLU, BRIDGE, Faith Fund, PRRAC, and Innovative Housing Institute, has developed a broad strategy to deconcentrate placement of public housing as outlined in the Thompson v. HUD public housing discrimination case. The development of a model housing production strategy includes: congregational land development in communities of opportunity; exploration of application of HUD' s Asset Control Area policy to regional areas; development of a Home Equity Partnership / Section 8 homeownership model; organizing for enforcement of existing state laws requiring right of first refusal for tenants; and application of Thompson principles to the Low Income Tax Credit for program operation in the Baltimore region.

Civic Works - Project Lightbulb
Project Lightbulb is a free energy efficiency and conservation program designed to help low income homeowners and renters reduce their energy consumption and save money by lowering their utility bills. The project focuses on light bulb replacement with CFL light bulbs, testing thermostats, water heater temperatures and refrigerator settings, and replacing showerheads and faucets with low-flow models. Results from the pilot project in two neighborhoods show resident savings of 53 kilowatt hours per month, or $8 dollars per household per month, a projected cumulative savings to residents of $31,000 in the first year.

Everyman Theatre
Capital funding was made available to the Everyman Theatre toward the renovation of the currently vacant, historic Town Theatre on the Westside as a permanent home for the theatre. Everyman Theatre has grown from a small operation in 1990 with one play a year to an impressive professional theatre with five plays, each performed for six weeks, with over 4,000 subscribers and nearly 9,000 single ticket buyers. The redevelopment of the theater will complement the nearby renovation and programming of the Hippodrome Theatre and recent investments on the Westside including the Centrepoint apartments and mixed use development.

Healthy Neighborhoods (HNI)
To support homeowner investment and encourage new homebuyer purchases in 15 Baltimore neighborhoods, HNI created new loan products for home purchase and renovation. Twelve banks contributed to a $38 million loan pool of below-market rate financing and The Abell, Harry & Jeanette Weinberg and Goldseker Foundations, as well as the Maryland Housing Fund, provide partial loan guarantees. The loans are intended to create high standards for property improvement, increase home values and provide additional tools to market the neighborhoods to prospective home buyers. Each participating neighborhood group provides marketing, counseling, loan outreach and implementation of block projects such as lighting or landscaping that create a positive neighborhood image.

Holy Nativity and St. John's Development Corporation

Lower Park Heights is plagued by drug violence, low educational achievement, underemployment and fractured families. Two churches, Holy Nativity Episcopal and St. John's Lutheran Church, joined their social ministries toward an ambitious plan to build a new community center. Under construction in 2006, the center will expand the after-school program offered by the churches, attract the first Head Start Program to serve the community and offer a family support program.

Inner Harbor Management Plan - Baltimore City Heritage Area Association
In 2003, the Mayor's Inner Harbor Advisory Committee in 2003 concluded that a management entity to oversee the operation and upkeep of the Inner Harbor was necessary. The Baltimore Waterfront Partnership, a non-profit management entity funded from fees paid by businesses along the waterfront for the upkeep and maintenance of the grounds, was created to address these concerns. Tourist attraction operators, merchants and other businesses were convened to learn more about what destinations visitors need directions to get to, and to determine what other area attractions should be included in a signage system. Wayfinder signage was also developed to provide continuity and uniformity in a cluttered and confusing landscape. These improvements will enhance the Inner Harbor's reputation as an attractive, user-friendly destination.

Job Opportunities Task Force
“Overpriced and Underserved” was funded by The Abell Foundation to examine the high cost of good and services for low income consumers. The report calculates a $3,000 a year “poverty premium” in cost of living for everything from groceries, financial transactions, cars and home mortgages paid by low income Baltimore City residents compared to their neighbors outside of the city.

Jubilee Baltimore and Baltimore Heritage
In a pilot partnership, Jubilee Baltimore and Baltimore Heritage provide community outreach and housing rehabilitation assistance to homeowners and homebuyers in the Marble Hill, Station North, and Hollins Market neighborhoods in hopes of stimulating market demand and homeowner reinvestment. The services are targeted to coincide with Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development offering approximately 45 city-owned vacant properties for sale. Baltimore Heritage offers community outreach and educational programs to make potential buyers aware of the financing programs available, including a lO-year City property tax freeze and a state income tax credit for renovated properties, as well as a $250,000 homeowner façade renovation loan program from the Baltimore City Commission on Historic and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) in Marble Hill. Jubilee offers renovation assistance to individual owner-occupants, including developing a scope of work, selecting and working with a contractor, seeking approvals from historic preservation agencies and securing project financing.

Maryland PIRG Foundation
As part of MaryPIRG’s statewide campaign to educate citizens and policymakers on the importance of increasing energy efficiency and conservation, The Abell Foundation funded their research and report, "Energy Saved, Dollars Earned: Real-World Examples of How Energy Efficiency Can Benefit Maryland Consumers". The report highlights national practices and case studies on residential, commercial and industrial efficiency programs that provide models for Maryland.

Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville - Slavie Federal Savings Bank
The Northeast Baltimore neighborhood of Lauraville has a high rate of homeownership and high quality housing, but the housing has typically been under-assessed and undervalued. In 2001, Abell committed to guarantee ten percent of all home improvement loans Slavie Federal Savings Bank offered at below market rates. Slavie has made 21 loans for a combined value of $344,000 in home improvements. With continuing demand for the program, Slavie recently doubled its commitment with Abell guaranteeing ten percent. The nonprofit sponsor, Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville, which markets the program and pre-screens applicants, reports that in the last two years housing values have increased 11 percent overall.

Office of the Mayor/CitiStat System
CitiStat is the O'Malley administration's hands-on program designed to improve the efficiency, accountability, cost effectiveness and responsiveness of city services and programs. CitiStat hallmarks include accurate and timely intelligence, rapid deployment of resources, effective tactics and strategies, and follow-up and assessment. In 2004, CitiStat received a $100,000 grant in recognition of being named one of five Innovations in American Government Awards. More...

Office of the Mayor/Baltimore City Immigration Expansion Initiative
The reversal of population decline in many cities is due primarily to the growth in immigrant populations. A concentration of immigrants has started to emerge in Baltimore City as immigrants attract others from their horne countries to settle in communities through networking processes. A designated staff position has improved coordination among city agencies, resources, nonprofit organizations and services to assist recent immigrants and to advocate for immigrants and immigrant support strategies.

Parks and People Foundation
As the City of Baltimore works to meet its goal of doubling the tree canopy over the next 30 years, Parks & People will support the attainment of this goal by providing large numbers of quality trees through the development of tree brokering and tree nursery businesses. In 2008, Parks & People, through a partnership with an east coast tree broker, sold 955 native species trees designed to withstand harsh urban environments to Baltimore City businesses and residents through its first tree sale.

Patterson Park Community Development Corporation
Alarmed that the number of vacant and foreclosed houses in the neighborhoods north and east of Patterson Park soared in the mid-1990’s, Patterson Park Community Development Corporation formed in 1996 to reinvest in housing through purchase, renovation and resale to homeowners or rent to responsible tenants. With funding from fifteen banks and lending institutions, the City the State and foundations, the organization sold over 150 renovated homes to owner-occupants and offered 160 renovated homes for rent. The Abell Foundation supported the creation and growth of the organization through grants, loans and loan guarantees. Read more...

People's Homesteading Group
Phase IV of the Anchors of Hope project focuses on four units to be renovated for affordable homeownership opportunities in the 400 block of East 22nd Street and two units to be renovated for rental opportunities for formerly homeless individuals in the 500 block of East North Avenue. Targeted buyers will have incomes of 50 percent to 80 percent of the median income. The expected home purchase price for Phase IV is $160,000. Pre-development and project development support to People's Homesteading Group will continue their efforts to positively impact the quality and value of the housing market in Barclay-Midway.

Public Justice Center
The March, 2003 Abell Newsletter reported that Baltimore has a staggering case load that burdens the courts, enables relatively rapid and inexpensive evictions and results in the dumping of tenant belongings in the street. The Public Justice Center researched the processes used in other cities and states, offered legislative and administrative proposals to improve the system and, together with the Citizens Planning and Housing Association, built a coalition of groups to educate residents and policymakers and advocate for reform. City Council legislation was passed in October, 2007 that reduced the number of evictions by 25 percent and eliminated the practice of dumping tenant chattel in the street, saving the City more than $1,000,000 in sanitation and landfill costs. Read more…

Rebuilding Together Baltimore
Rebuilding Together mobilizes a volunteer workforce to ensure that low-income homeowners, especially those who are elderly, disabled, and families with children, live in greater independence in warmer, safer, drier homes. While core activities take place in selected Baltimore neighborhoods, expansion of services and increasing the impact on and in communities can help with community preservation and stabilization by maintaining the condition of homes and making it possible for low income homeowners to “age in place” at home. Rebuilding Together increased the number of homeowners served by 30% in FY 2008.

St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center
St. Ambrose received the first nonprofit designation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address FHA-foreclosed houses through an Asset Control Area in Northeast Baltimore. The Abell Foundation provided start-up funding for staff to implement the program. Over a period of three and one-half years, St. Ambrose purchased, renovated and sold to homeowners 112 vacant foreclosed houses and doubled to ten the number of lenders participating in the acquisition and renovation financing. As the number of FHA-foreclosed houses has declined in the neighborhoods in the Asset Control Area, St. Ambrose has expanded the program to include neighborhoods in Southwest Baltimore.

University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Capital funding was provided for construction of a new LEED-certified building for the Journalism School and to establish The Abell Professorship in Baltimore Journalism. Each semester, the professorship will provide an opportunity for 8 to 10 upper-level undergraduate and graduate students to develop stories on timely and important issues affecting the health and quality of life in Baltimore City. Student stories will be prepared for publication or broadcasting in The Sun and other regional media outlets during the year.

Visit the Grantmaking section to learn about the steps involved in making a grant application and to see other recently funded grants.