People's Forum on Public Housing TOMORROW

Sorry for the late notice... I just got this now

Every spring the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) is required to publish a draft Annual Plan for the coming year and host a hearing to record community feedback. HABC's FY2010 draft plan includes the continued demolition of public housing units, with a replacement plan of only 53 rehabilitation projects and 90 court-ordered units. This trend over the years, as documented in a 2007 Abell Foundation report , has resulted in a 42% decrease in HABC's occupied inventory between 1992-2007 alone.

At this year's official hearing on May 4th, CPHA urged the Housing Authority to replace units it demolishes and to take a more regional approach to public housing. You can click here to see our testimony. Unfortunately, the hearing was not well attended, even by three of the four Housing Authority Commissioners.

We at CPHA want to invite fellow affordable housing advocates to join our partners ACLU of Maryland, Maryland ACORN, Maryland Disability Law Center, Homeless Person's Representation Project, and the University of Maryland Law School Community Development Clinic this Tuesday May 19th at 6:00 pm at the Greater Baltimore Urban League, 512 Orchard St., for a People's Public Forum on Baltimore's Public Housing. Here public housing residents, elected officials, and citizens will give testimony and make recommendations for the future development of housing for low-income families in Baltimore.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Please visit CPHA's Economic Recovery for Neighborhoods Initiative (ERNI) in the Convening Citizens section of www.CPHAbaltimore.org for ongoing updates on stimulus funding opportunities. *Upcoming deadlines include: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-R) on May 18, and Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) on May 22.*

Please contact Amy DeHuff to learn more.

Amy DeHuff
Housing Program Coordinator