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New tool to address vacant homes will create Baltimore City Land Bank

vacant home
Posted at 6:13 AM, Mar 10, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-10 06:55:13-05

BALTIMORE — There are thousands of vacant homes around Baltimore. They're not only eye-sores in neighborhoods, but they can also be a danger and hubs for crime.

Friday morning, two Baltimore City councilors will introduce another tool that could help bring that number down even further.

Councilwoman Ramos will introduce legislation to expedite the process of eliminating vacant homes, by using Baltimore's Land Bank Authority.

It is another tool to expedite the acquisition and disposition of vacant and abandoned properties. People say it's been a long time coming as the city has tried to address the vacant home problem for years.

The city’s effort included a new artificial intelligence program looking at images of the city to find properties with roof damage.

The AI detection tool has resulted in 23 emergency demolitions in the last two months.

Additionally, back in October, city officials joined firefighters each Wednesday to post red markers on vacant properties that are deemed unsafe.

Residents in the area hope this will solve the vacant home problem, as the vacancies are making some neighborhoods undesirable.

"I recently shared that we can't go five to six houses in any direction without it being a vacant property," said Pauline Charles, Darley Park community leader.

Quiton Mcdaniels another longtime homeowner is also sandwiched in frustration.

"I got 2 houses on both sides that are empty," said Mcdaniels

According to the latest numbers from the City, they've reduced the number of vacant properties by 752. They say the city has its lowest number of vacant properties in years.

The press conference for the Baltimore's Land Bank Authority is scheduled for 11 a.m. in the Carrollton Ridge neighborhood.