Fifteen years ago, the Baltimore City Council foolishly rebuffed efforts by former mayor Sheila Dixon to establish a “land bank” to reduce the number of blighted properties in Baltimore. Councilwoman Odette Ramos states that she intends to introduce a bill establishing a city land bank in the near future. When she does, the council should pass it. Baltimore has a long-standing problem with vacant, derelict houses. Most are located in the cluster of poor, predominantly Black neighborhoods known as the “Black Butterfly.”
Land bank bill could revitalize Baltimore’s blighted neighborhoods
October 25, 2022