The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (MDHCD) has just published a baseline report from its Division of Just Communities. The report is the first formal publication of the new division. The report contains the mission and vision of the Division, information on racial disparities in Maryland housing and neighborhood conditions, and the current and ongoing work of the Department to address inequities.
The Just Communities baseline report:
- Defines the new Division’s scope to both internal and external stakeholders;
- Demonstrates the Division’s strong understanding of Maryland housing policy’s historic wrongs;
- Celebrates ongoing initiatives that can advance racial equity; and
- Introduces the Department’s Just Communities measurement strategy.
To read the full baseline report, click here.
The Department’s Division of Just Communities was created in 2023 to prioritize resources in areas with historical disinvestment to address the wrongs of the past. The Division is working to build and strengthen partnerships in communities with economic and housing trends that indicate a need for reinvestment.
Under the leadership of Assistant Secretary Cat Goughnour, the Division represents a new and focused effort by MDHCD and the State of Maryland to help reverse decades of exclusionary policies, opening pathways to opportunity in minoritized communities that have been previously denied them, and ensuring that no Marylander is left behind.
The Division will assist in the implementation of the Just Communities Act, which was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore during the 2024 Legislative Session. Effective July 1, 2024, this Act authorizes the governor, on recommendation by the DHCD Secretary, to designate areas as Just Communities based on specific criteria including a history of redlining, exclusionary zoning, high imprisonment rates, and unequal exposure to environmental or health hazards.
The Just Communities Act is part of MDHCD’s Turning the Key campaign, designed to raise awareness of the state’s efforts to address the housing unit shortage and unlock Maryland’s potential during the 2024 Legislative Session. The campaign encourages Marylanders to be part of the solution and communicates information on the implementation of new laws, including the Just Communities Act.
To subscribe for updates about the Division of Just Communities, go to dhcd.maryland.gov/subscribe.
For more information about the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Division of Just Communities, visit dhcd.maryland.gov.
