Homelessness and Housing

Millions are raised through government grants and star-studded galas, yet Baltimore's homeless services have been mired in bureaucracy and increasingly-harsh policy prescriptions, including encampment razing. Meanwhile, curled up in doorways and on friends' couches, thousands in the city still lack a place to call home.

Homeless scatter and struggle after church fences off their onetime haven

Parish leaders say drug dealing was leading to violence at St. Vincent Park; advocates say city leaders need to do more for people without shelter.

How much housing discrimination to allow? None!

A call for Baltimore’s City Council to resist efforts to water down a bill banning discrimination against renters with housing vouchers and other subsidies. [Op-Ed]

Pennsylvania company charges illegal fees, Maryland tenants allege

“Fee-churning” by Morgan Properties Management Company, LLC hurts renters in Baltimore and beyond, lawsuit says.

Pro-developer amendments will undermine already flawed affordable housing bill

New amendments to the bill would benefit waterfront luxury projects. But the proposed Trust Fund was based on questionable financial assumptions to start with. ANALYSIS.

Of mice and mold and a new law that says renters needn’t put up with squalor

Advocates spread the word that one- and two-unit rentals in Baltimore must now be inspected and licensed.

UM Medical Center denies any role in death of homeless woman

Hospital denounces “unfounded speculation” about Karen Simpkins’ death, but says it is legally bound not to comment on her medical treatment or discharge.

Making the homeless disappear was goal of previous mayor

A retired pastor sees parallels between the city’s response to the homeless and the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policies at the border.

Sister of homeless woman found dead near city shelter seeks answers

Was Karen Simpkins, after brief stays at the city shelter and University of Maryland hospital, a victim of “patient dumping?”

Loved but lost, Lawrence Alexander is returned to his family

A mother and three siblings come to Baltimore to receive the ashes of a homeless man who died in front of City Hall.

Woman found dead near city’s homeless shelter

The woman appeared to be in her early 60s, a Baltimore police officer said.

Affordable housing advocates launch charter amendment drive

Saying Mayor Pugh and Council President Young have reneged on their promises, activists will take to the streets on Saturday to gather signatures.

City auditor: Homeless Services office comes up short by its own measures

So muddled were its targets that the auditor couldn’t pinpoint how much it lagged behind.

Collateral damage as Baltimore overhauls its rental property regulations: poor renters

As “bad” landlords’ licenses are revoked, more people will be evicted, but there is no requirement for the city to help them [OP-ED]

High hopes as City Council proposes to actually fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund

A transfer tax increase bill has support from Council President, but no word yet from Pugh.

Another argument against encampment clearing – it drives homeless drug users into the shadows

Even when shelter is offered, evicting people from tents hurts more than helps. Op-Ed.

Panel steps away from partnering with city on street homelessness

Amid tension over Baltimore’s continued razing of encampments, the Continuum of Care Board proposes tackling street homelessness on its own.

Mayor Pugh’s latest homeless encampment clearing veers off script

Razing paused after city workers take a woman’s things without asking and turn away a church group trying to feed people.

10 takeaways from the clearing away of the homeless near City Hall

Papering over a big problem: Only a handful agree to go to the Volunteers of America shelter. “We’ll be back,” vowed one.

Activists face off with Braverman over affordable housing

“Not one dollar” has been put into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund 15 months after voters approved it.

Pugh plans to raze Guilford Avenue homeless encampment

Citing “health and safety concerns,” city says site will be cleared on January 26, residents will be offered “temporary bridge housing.”

Holiday Wish Part 2: That Baltimore’s leaders actually lead

A blueprint for tackling the deep-seated problems that have led to rampant homelessness.

Holiday Wish Part 1: That Baltimore’s leaders tell the truth about the homeless crisis

The mayor and the media are misrepresenting the number of city residents in dire need of shelter, a longtime activist says.

City says it’s prepared to shelter the homeless as winter approaches

There are 150 overflow beds and a shelter permitted for 360 more beds. A homeless advocate says that’s not enough.

Pugh says, “I share the vision of the 20/20 plan”

Without committing any funding, mayor says she supports the ideas behind Baltimore Roundtable’s housing plan.

Pugh pressed to keep her campaign promises on affordable housing

The money is there, the Housing Roundtable says, proposing a $40 million investment. “All it takes is shifting priorities.”

As they are moved from shelter to mission, uncertainty continues for Pinderhughes residents

Reporter barred from watching city move homeless group. For protest leader, a new apartment.

Praise and prayer as Ben Carson visits Baltimore’s Helping Up Mission

Faith-based recovery center and shelter a platform for Trump’s Administration on opioids and Pugh’s on homelessness.

Tent City leader blasts Pugh as city prepares to relocate homeless group

Smith accuses the mayor of breaking promises made to protesters: “She used me.”

Blueprint for housing the homeless includes support and a sense of community

The Episcopal Housing Corporation launches a project on a blighted block of West Baltimore that it hopes will become a model.

Pugh’s solution on housing the homeless: Do it with private dollars

Plenty of hopes and plans, but few details at mayoral announcement that homelessness advocates found anti-climactic.

Pugh on defensive over handling of the Tent City protesters

Workgroup report on homelessness pushed back a week for “changes and editing.”

Mayor to announce plan on homelessness Wednesday

Given recommendations by her workgroup – and sharp prodding by the Tent City protesters – Pugh is taking action on the issue.

Drug testing – but still no permanent housing – for Tent City protesters

A month after Pugh moved homeless people off the City Hall lawn, they remain stuck in a former school in West Baltimore.

Applause for Tent City and a word of caution about the city’s promises

“Assessments?” Bureaucratese for “you’re back out on the street.” The real Rx: permanent affordable housing, veteran advocates say.

Tent City residents moved to shelter in a process organizer calls rushed

The future of their broader agenda murky, homeless protesters are now at a former West Baltimore school.

A “Tent City” outside City Hall to press the mayor on homelessness and more

Confederate monuments down, Baltimore must turn to other issues, advocates say.

Henry Anderson: “They did an excellent job!”

City shores up party wall, fixes damage after Sandtown-Winchester resident protests botched demolition job.

Cleaning or clearing? New signs posted at Fallsway had homeless fearing eviction

City: New cleaning policy “not a pretext to make the residents move permanently.”

Activists plan protest when Ben Carson visits Baltimore tomorrow

The neurosurgeon-turned-HUD-Secretary is scheduled to speak at an East Baltimore school.

Why Harbor Taxi “bike lids” were moved to Druid Hill Park

Homeless people were using the plastic covers for shelter and storage.

After a rocky start, Pugh assembles a “workgroup” on homelessness

Panel is to give Baltimore’s mayor an action plan in 60 days

“Winter sheltering” for homeless extended through end of March

Baltimore makes extra beds available when the temperature drops to 32 degrees or below.

Pugh “working on plan to address homelessness,” a spokesman says, after camp clearing

Six people moved from tents along MLK Blvd. to a hotel have received a commitment for housing vouchers, city reports.

Homeless camp clearing proceeds under advocates’ watchful eye

City promises to find MLK tent dwellers permanent housing. Attorney: “We’ll hold them to it.”

City to raze and fence off another homeless camp

Advocates “very disappointed” that this is new administration’s first act on homelessness.

Remembering those who died homeless, looking to City Hall for help

At the annual ritual, speeches and hope that a new administration will move beyond platitudes.

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Elderly and homeless, stabbing victim had a name and a story

After years of hard times, things were looking up for Andras “Andy” Horvath.

Sharp spike in homeless deaths a focus of vigil tonight

Advocates report a 62% increase in the number of homeless people who died in Baltimore in 2016.

Life on the streets of a frigid Baltimore

For some, there’s no house, no bed and nothing more than a blanket.

Homeless brave the cold as city struggles with fewer outreach workers

There are 275 extra beds for the homeless tonight, but fewer outreach workers mean that many will still sleep in the streets.

Is Baltimore prepared to handle the homeless this winter?

Advocates hope Mayor Pugh makes a complex homeless shelter system work better.

Homeless man’s death outside City Hall spurs call for mayor’s help

With the temperature plunging, advocates for the homeless ask Baltimore’s new mayor to declare a “state of emergency.”

Mayor’s push to privatize homeless services nixed by providers’ group

United Way was ready to take over, but providers were wary of giving a private entity control of public dollars.

A poignant – and pointed – memorial for homeless persons who died in Baltimore

Remembering when they lived outside under an old quilt, thinking of those who died living on the streets of Baltimore, people came together last night to pray, sing – and exhort the city to do more to help those who are homeless.

City to open winter shelter to house homeless persons at higher temperatures

A city official says the zero-degree threshold for sheltering homeless persons was never approved by the mayor and was the result of “bad communication” at a meeting. BOTTOM LINE: City plans to open winter overflow shelter when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, not below 0 degrees.

City had plans to make zero degrees the trigger to shelter homeless people this winter

“It’s outrageous,” one homeless service provider said yesterday. “How would people on the streets even know something is open when it’s zero degrees?” “They would be frozen by the time they would know,” another person replied.

Mayor agrees to delay razing of Fallsway homeless encampment

After blistering criticism from her own advisory board – and a group of service providers at a meeting today – Rawlings-Blake said she would hold off on a plan to roust another group of people from their roadside tents, saying she is already working to improve the process of housing voucher distribution.

Stop clearing encampments, mayor’s panel on homelessness tells her

Decrying the fact that over 200 housing vouchers are not being used, the “Journey Home” board called for a moratorium on the razing of encampments until the city fixes what members said was a flawed process for distributing the vouchers to homeless people.

By razing encampments, Baltimore is abandoning a strategy against homelessness that worked

Advocate recalls how the “Housing First” ethos of 10 years ago helped city find permanent housing for people living in a downtown park

Evicted from MLK Blvd. encampment, homeless say they have nowhere to go

The city had trash trucks, city workers and police coordinated Friday to clear homeless people from an encampment on the west side of Baltimore. One thing they hadn’t done, people there said, was find some place for them to go or warn advocates about what was going down.

Inclusionary housing fund is running on empty

The fund has dwindled to just $70,000, and the chair of the advisory board says the law simply doesn’t work.

Housing the homeless in Baltimore’s vacants

HUD report decries city’s management of homeless funds, but says no fraud found

There have been wild rumors regarding what happened to a federal homeless grant that the city is now partially repaying. Based on our review of the full (and so far unreleased) HUD report, we move past the blame game.

Baltimore set to repay $4 million in misspent homeless funds

After all the finger pointing and denials, the city is forking out $3.7 million in hard cash to pay back the federal government for mishandled homeless money that was awarded as part of President Obama’s 2009 stimulus program. It’s another example of what can happen to the city that never audits.

Mayor and homeless providers praise grants faulted by HUD

Catholic Charities executive director today called HUD’s decision to order repayment of $3.7 million in homeless grants “atrocious,” while other non-profits rallied around Mayor Rawlings-Blake, who defended her administration’s handling of the grant money.

Documents show: HUD last year ordered review of 64 homeless grants

The federal government became so concerned with how the Mayor’s Office of Human Services was administering homeless programs that it ordered an “auto review” of $23 million in homeless grants, documents obtained by The Brew show.

HUD tells city to repay nearly $4 million in misspent homeless funds

The federal government downsizes its demand for mis