Alice E. Kennedy, the former Baltimore Housing Commissioner who recently moved to the mayor’s office, has abruptly resigned.

Kennedy confirmed last night that she no longer works for the city, but declined to say more.

“I’m not interested in talking at this moment,” she said in a brief phone conversation.

Last September, Mayor Brandon Scott announced that Kennedy would be transitioning from the housing department to a new position.

“I thank her for her leadership at the helm of our housing team, where her impact will be felt for many years to come, and am grateful that she’s agreed to continue service to the city,” the mayor said in a press release.

That role turned out to be as Executive Director of Community Affairs and Engagement, a position created by the mayor’s office last February.

At the same time, former City Councilman Kristerfer Burnett was shifted from the Office of Equity and Civil Rights to run the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs (MOCA), a seemingly duplicative role.

Burnett, who could not be reached for comment, has now assumed her duties.

Wearer of Many Hats

Kennedy’s 16-year tenure in city government encompassed many roles.

Staring off in the planning department in 2010, she moved to the Department of Housing and Community Development in 2016, where she oversaw the Homeownership Program and Lead Hazard Reduction Program and Weatherization Program before she replaced Michael Braverman in 2020 as acting housing commissioner.

Scott named her permanent commissioner the following year.

In December 2023, her department was placed at the forefront of the mayor’s ambitious plan to eradicate the scourge of vacant houses in the city by year 2038.

Kennedy became the chief cheerleader for Reframe Baltimore, alongside BUILD and the Greater Baltimore Committee, while also tasked with supervising the mayor’s affordable housing and homeownership initiatives.

Her reputation took a hit last year following the chaotic rollout of the new E-Permits portal.

The upgrade was meant to make applying for building permits, business licenses and inspections easier, but users soon complained of three-to-six month delays.

Just days before the mayor announced that Kennedy would be leaving the housing department, Deputy Mayor Justin Williams was appointed director of Permitting and Development Services (a.k.a., “Permit Czar”).

The new position was designed to streamline permitting through a data-driven performance management framework known as the Bmore FAST Initiative, but users report that frustrating delays in processing still persist.