Baltimore Housing
Two Agencies, One Name
The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) was established in 1937 to
provide federally-funded public housing programs and related services for
Baltimore's low-income residents. HABC is the fifth largest public housing
authority in the country, with more than 1,000 employees and an annual
budget of approximately $200 million. The Agency currently serves over
40,000 residents in more than 14,000 housing units. HABC's portfolio
includes 18 family developments, 21 mixed population buildings and scattered
sites throughout the City. Baltimore's Housing Choice Voucher program
provides an additional 12,000 families with rental housing subsidies each
year.
The Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) was
created in 1968 to consolidate local community development efforts with
housing and building code enforcement. With just over 500 employees, HCD
strengthens City neighborhoods by attracting investors, developers and home
buyers. Through the administration of CDBG, HOME, City bond funds, and other
creative financing mechanisms, the Department finances and guides strategic
development projects to meet housing and neighborhood needs. To hold
property owners accountable and keep neighborhoods safe, HCD monitors
construction and building activity and enforces the City's housing and
building codes. The Department also provides a host of valuable community
services at six Community Action Centers citywide, administers the Head
Start program, operates three day care centers, and administers a host of
energy assistance programs to residents in need.
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During the past few years, HABC and HCD have essentially been restructured
to operate as one agency to the maximum extent possible. A new
organizational structure unifies the neighborhood building and community
support functions of the two agencies yet maintains the financial, legal and
programmatic integrity of both. This new collaboration, known as Baltimore
Housing, coordinates planning and development efforts, eliminates
redundancy, and fosters program accountability.
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