Baltimore is finally receiving the attention and investment needed to tackle vacant housing (Banks, business leaders to raise at least $100 million to address Baltimore’s vacant homes, June 8, 2025). With $50 million from the state’s Creating Opportunities for Renewal and Enterprise program and a coordinated city-state partnership through the Baltimore Vacant Reinvestment Initiative and Reframe Baltimore, momentum is building for real, sustained transformation.

This long-overdue moment of alignment between government, philanthropy, the financial sector and the nonprofit community is worth celebrating.

We must also clarify our vision and ensure that while returning vacant homes to use is essential, it is only one step in revitalizing a neighborhood.

The “whole block” concept offers a powerful and proven framework for rebuilding Baltimore’s neighborhoods. First pioneered in partnership by BUILD and ReBUILD Metro and documented in their 2023 “Whole Blocks, Whole City” report, this strategy goes far beyond construction. A whole block is a place where every house is filled within a thriving surrounding community.

This means robust community planning, deep resident engagement, affordable homeownership pathways, investment in public spaces, support for grassroots organizations, cultivation of local leadership, inclusive marketing, and strong, representative neighborhood associations. Only through this comprehensive lens can we transform blocks — and, ultimately, the city — into places of lasting prosperity.

Efforts have centered primarily on acquisition, stabilization, rehab and development — critical building blocks, but not the full picture. If we stop there, we risk building houses without rebuilding communities.

Community development organizations, which have been working for decades with limited support, require comprehensive support for the full continuum of neighborhood transformation. Groups like the Neighborhood Design Center are well positioned to support these efforts through inclusive design, planning and resident engagement. Lasting transformation, however, will require strong cross-sector partnerships and shared investment in community revitalization.

The state and city must continue to lead while providing resources to trusted neighborhood leaders, support community-generated plans, invest in the public realm, and market neighborhoods in ways that foster a sense of belonging and pride.

We need to ensure that “whole block” doesn’t become shorthand for vacancy clearance. Let’s remember the vision of neighborhoods that are whole, vibrant and led by the people who live in them.

Jennifer Goold is the executive director of the Neighborhood Design Center.

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