American Rescue Plan Act grants distributed to help Baltimore nonprofits focused on affordable housing, youth services
A fourth round of American Rescue Plan Act grants will be distributed to Baltimore nonprofit organizations focused on community development, including affordable housing, youth services, small business support and arts and culture.
The funds will come out of the Mayor's Office of Recovery program, Mayor Brandon Scott announced.
"These organizations fill in the gaps and support our communities in ways that local government can't. Baltimore is stronger when we work in partnership with our nonprofit community," Scott said. "As we emerge from the pandemic, it is essential that we use this as an opportunity to reinvigorate our city collaboratively and intentionally – which is what these investments are all about."
The awards – totaling just over $15.8 million to 12 different organizations – are designed to build up public safety, equitable neighborhood development, prioritizing the youth, and clean and healthy communities.
This is where the grants will be dispersed:
Ahavas Chaim Inc will receive $500,000 to provide rent and housing security deposit support to residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding will also permit Ahavas Chaim to make facility improvements to their existing center which will allow for increased services designed to provide mental health, career, academic, and socioemotional support to at-risk teens and young adults in Baltimore.
American Communities Trust, Inc. will receive $2,250,000 to support a multi-phased project to eliminate the blight of five vacant and abandoned buildings to establish a small business jobs center in the heart of a persistent poverty community that was once an epicenter of business and retail. The job center will help to expand minority and locally-owned small businesses, create local jobs, and increase access to healthy foods.
City Dibs will receive $500,000 to provide fellowships to entrepreneurs and business incubation support to existing small businesses in Baltimore City, with particular attention on serving Black and other minority populations.
Druid Heights Community Development Corporation will receive $300,000 to support the Green Infrastructure project, which will focus on stormwater management activities that reduce inland flood and pollution for the vacant lots that have been impacted by repeated dumping from residential and commercial contractors.
Everyman Theatre will receive $1,000,000 to focus on restoring public performances and educational, arts and culture programming affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular attention towards the equitable inclusion of groups that have been historically excluded or had limited engagement with Baltimore's arts, culture, and entertainment community.
HeartSmiles will receive $250,000 to provide mentorship, career advancement opportunities, leadership opportunities, and mental and physical health support to Baltimore City youth.
KEYS Empowers will receive $1,000,000 to help to transform the former Dr. Lillie M. Jackson Elementary School, in the Coppin Heights neighborhood, into facility that will serve residents and more specifically, target the socio-economically underdeveloped Coppin Heights neighborhood. The complex will provide access to broadband internet and computer labs, nightly dinners in a fully-equipped cafeteria, daily fitness programming in a gymnasium, job training in various industries including STEM, and mental health services.
Neighborhood Housing Services will receive $2,800,000 to support investment in comprehensive, equitable neighborhood development and affordable homeownership within Greater Rosemont Mondawmin (GRM) communities. This initiative will include developing vacant/disinvested units, providing home repairs and modifications, transforming a limited number of vacant lots, and removing blight across the community.
Omega Baltimore Foundation, Inc. will receive $260,000 to manage and operate the Easterwood Recreation Center in West Baltimore, in order to mitigate the historical lack of neighborhood recreational programming. The Easterwood Recreation Center will provide free hot meals and computer access to youth after school daily, Out of School Time (OST) STEM Programming for youth during the school year, summer camps, youth flag football leagues, and provide employment for neighborhood youth through YouthWorks.
Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District, Inc. will receive $1,000,000 to provide job training assistance, workforce development, cash assistance, and small business assistance in the form of sponsorships and fellowships for artists and creative professionals within the Black Arts District footprint.
Project PLASE will receive $3,500,000 to support the renovation of Beacon House Square (BHS) by covering hard costs related to construction of the affordable housing development.
Southeast Community Development Corporation will receive $2,500,000 to support affordable housing through the acquisition and rehabilitation of properties and a home repairs program focused on low-income owner-occupants and tenants.
Nonprofit organizations submitted 322 proposals that were eligible for ARPA funding. The submitted proposals totaled $719 million: more than the City's total ARPA allocation through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF).
