Posted on 07/19/25
| News Source: FOX45
Annapolis, MD - July 19, 2025 - So far this month, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has announced nearly $58 million in grants across the state, most of which comes from a renewed push to clean up vacant properties in Baltimore City.
The announcements come as the state implements a hiring freeze and buyout offers for state employees, measures Moore said could save on personnel costs without forgoing scheduled pay raises. They also come just after the state’s fiscal 2026 budget took effect July 1 — a plan that closed a more-than $3 billion deficit with over $2 billion in cuts and $1 billion in new taxes and fees.
Baltimore vacants
On July 7, Moore declared $50 million in grant funds through the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative, a program run by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development. Of these funds, $30 million will go to 16 “community development organizations,” $15 million will allow Baltimore City and the Maryland Stadium Authority to “demolish, stabilize, and acquire vacant properties for redevelopment,” and $5 million is carried over from large, mixed-use projects from fiscal 2025.
Park Heights Renaissance, South Baltimore Community Land Trust, and the Southeast Community Development Corp. are among the organizations set to receive funding. A news release from the governor’s office said recipients with a “record of success” were targeted, while neighborhoods were chosen based on their “impressive redevelopment potential.”
Maryland Republicans, such as Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, worry that proper oversight could be lacking in the ambitious handout. Their concerns come as the state Comptroller Brooke Lierman, a Democrat, called for improved oversight of nonprofit grants during a Board of Public Works meeting Wednesday.
“Historically, grants of this type in Baltimore are handed out without sufficient transparency or follow-through. Millions are allocated, but there’s little oversight — no clear benchmarks or public reporting — so it’s unclear whether the nonprofits deliver on promises,” Hershey told The Baltimore Sun. “Unless the [Moore] administration sets firm accountability standards and publishes regular progress updates, I have serious doubts these funds will achieve the results taxpayers expect and deserve.”