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FY24

Southeast CDC PROGRAMS

HOUSING COUNSELING

FAMILY SUPPORT

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION

AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP

COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION

Cover image: a site visit at our rain garden installed at Tench Tilghman Elementary Middle School

This page: Highlandtown Arts & Entertainment District’s rainbow snake lantern celebrates the district’s 20th anniversary at The Great Halloween Lantern Parade.

Southeast CDC 2023/2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Doug E. Schmidt, Board Chair

Workshop Development

Jason Filippou, Vice Chair

Cummings & Co. Realtors

Mark Parker, Secretary

Breath of God Lutheran Church

Carlos Plazas, Treasurer

Planned Parenthood

Agnes Arnold

Arnold Consulting & Training

Michelle Fields-Hall

George Mason Mortgage

Eben Hansel

Ballard Spahr, LLPN

Carolyn Krysiak

Maryland General Assembly (Ret.)

Robbyn Lewis

Delegate, 46th District, Md. House of Delegates

Patrick Lundberg

Urban Design Group

Jennifer Nickoles

Johns Hopkins Bayview

Medical Center

Matthew Seward DTZ

Alexandra (Alli) Smith

Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice

Anne Stahl

LUUA | Design Studio

Sonja Wells City First Bank

HOUSING COUNSELING

Southeast CDC’s HUD-certified housing counseling staff support Baltimore City clients with home buying, foreclosure prevention, post-purchase, and rental counseling.

HOUSING

VOUCHER HOLDER

TO HOMEOWNER: MS. SANDRA’S STORY

When we approached Ms. Sandra to ask if she would be willing to share her story, she responded “Yes, I am a success story!”

Ms. Sandra came to us through our partnership with the Homeownership Office of the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC). HABC’s homeownership program enables rental voucher holders to apply voucher funds toward a mortgage.

A decades-long renter, Ms. Sandra wants others to learn how to become homeowners. She saved intentionally while maintaining good credit to make the most of her income and a rental housing voucher. Ms. Sandra attended our Homebuyer Education Workshop in-person at Pleasant View Gardens and then worked with a Southeast CDC

housing counselor, Yvette Murray, who guided her through the homebuying process.

Leveraging Ms. Sandra’s savings and credit score, Yvette ensured that she qualified for a $10,000 Baltimore City First-Time Homebuyer Program incentive. Ms. Sandra pre-qualified for a mortgage and another $10,000 incentive from M&T Bank, which her loan officer, Debbie Meeder, used to “buy down” the interest rate to 5%, which is below the market rate.

Ms. Sandra now has a new home in East Baltimore and is thrilled to have a “house just for me!” She praised Yvette who “helped me in so many ways and partnered with me right away to achieve homeownership.”

687

535 percentage of clients with low- to moderate-incomes 68%

PEOPLE

Individual Counseling

Pictured above:

Yvette Murray, Ms. Sandra, Debbie Meeder

Southeast CDC’s Family Support team provides case management support to families in our community. New Americans who are enrolled in the Baltimore New American Access Coalition (BNAAC) program and school families experiencing a housing or financial crisis are connected with the necessary resources to achieve household stability.

FAMILY SUPPORT FROM EVICTION TO STABILITY: MS. D

Ms. D is a single mother with nine children. Following an eviction, she needed to reside temporarily with a friend. Despite her housing instability, Ms. D continued to work full-time and ensured that her children never missed a day of school. The Community School Coordinator at her children’s school referred her to Southeast CDC’s Family Stability Program in hopes of assistance.

Upon enrolling in the program, Ms. D collaborated with her case manager, Damien Baez, to set goals and devise a plan to overcome the crisis. After finding a new home to rent, Ms. D needed to clear her BGE debt and ensure timely service at her new address. The Family Stability Program’s funds were used

to cover her energy debt and secure energy service at her new home.

Ms. D and her children were able to move to a permanent home, significantly improving their situation. She expressed the intention of purchasing a home more suitable for her large family, so she was then referred to our housing counseling team for guidance.

Ms. D’s family entered our program experiencing housing instability, but her participation not only provided financial assistance, but also equipped her with tools to implement a sustainable budget, fostering stability and prospects for a future of homeownership.

$83,165 for client rental and utility assistance

households received intensive case management toward financial stability

31 of New American clients increased their income

89%

New American families were connected with at least two public health and human service programs

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Southeast CDC is the Lead Agency for the citywide Community School strategy at five zoned public schools in Southeast Baltimore: Tench Tilghman EMS, John Ruhrah EMS, William Paca ES, Highlandtown #237 EMS, and Highlandtown #215 EMS. School are important neighborhood anchors.

John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School in Greektown is well known for being a welcoming and positive place for families. The school leadership and staff have set the tone for welcoming parental involvement, including ensuring that immigrant families from many nations are celebrated and communicated with in their own languages. Parents are thoughtfully included in School Family Council meetings. The school holds well attended Family Nights around the themes of Math, Reading, and Science, with interactive stations and food.

Parents expressed interest in forming a Parent-Teacher Organization. The school supported this and over 100 parents attended the first two meetings!

Knowing that parenting and supporting children’s development and academic success can be a challenge for anyone, Principal Mary Ancinec and her staff designed a new workshop series for families. “Parenting is a Verb” sessions are held monthly and are designed to support families in the growth and development of

their children. These classes, led by school staff, are taught in English and Spanish, and feature participation from professionals and mental health specialists on topics such as:

• Establishing effective routines at home

• Strategies for communicating with teachers

• Tips for managing screen time The goal is to provide families with the tools necessary to support academic success and to foster a positive environment for the growth of our children. More than 100 parents attended the first session in the fall of 2023 and more than 50 have attended each session since. Logistics and parent participation are supported by Southeast CDC’s Community School Coordinator, Fernanda Caballero.

Southeast CDC is looking forward to collaborating with the school to replicate this workshop series at our other partner schools.

71,173 pounds of food distributed

1,375

funding leveraged during the 2023/2024 school year volunteer hours donated to community schools

$590,070

“Parenting is a Verb” workshop series at John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION

Southeast CDC supports residents in the planning and implementation of community projects that improve quality of life. Our work is accomplished through partnerships with residents, community organizations, schools, anchor institutions, government, businesses, and funders who share in our work and benefit from the renewal of our community.

ROSE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER

Rose Street Community Center serves returning citizens, those recovering from addiction, and youth who are at high risk for engaging in violent crime. Daily programming employs residents in community cleanup work, engaging members who take pride in maintaining a clean and safe neighborhood while connecting them to long-term employment opportunities.

GETS A

NEW HOME

With the support of with an architect from St. Ambrose Housing Aid and contractor, TCB Property Management, together we renovated 815 N. Rose Street to serve as the organization’s new operational headquarters. Pictured below, the transformation of the main floor and Rose Street Community Center staff Diana Cason (“Mrs. D”) and Annie Guyton selecting the floor stain.

CUSTOM OUTDOOR FURNITURE IN GREEKTOWN

Our Neighborhood Spruce-Up program continued this year with the installation of custom trash cans and benches in the Greektown neighborhood’s commercial district. These were replicated by the Baltimore City Department of Planning’s

INSPIRE program in nearby Umbra Park. These fixtures were designed by Greektown Neighborhood Association members and funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s BRNI program.

COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION

Southeast CDC coordinates both the nationally-designated Highlandtown Main Street and statedesignated Highlandtown Arts & Entertainment districts. We team up with businesses, property owners, developers, artists, residents, government, and private organizations to create a thriving commercial district and arts community.

PLACEMAKING

This unique temporary art installation at Highlandtown’s famous ‘BUS’ was inspired by families frequenting Dreamers & Make-Believers bookshop and completed by visiting attendees of the National Placemaking Conference, pictured here.

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE STATS & OUTCOMES

Southeast CDC’s Highlandtown Commercial Team, Amanda Smit-Peters and Johanna Barrantes, supported over 55 businesses as they navigated business assistance funds, including Baltimore Development Corporation’s Economic Recovery Program, as well as grant applications to Comcast and BGE.

This year, 27 new businesses opened in the Main Street district, including Ovenbird Bakery, a charming cafe and production hub.

Our team was awarded $300,000 for the State’s Project Restore grant to support new businesses opening in empty commercial spaces - this will kickoff next year!

Thank you to Chester Stacy of Chester Creates for assisting with the installation!

NUMBER OF BUSINESSES AND ARTISTS ASSISTED, BY CATEGORY

AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP

Southeast CDC is renovating distressed homes in neighborhoods with declining homeownership, making critical repairs on existing homeowner-occupied properties, and coaching existing renters toward homeownership.

The Housing Development team continues to focus our housing rehab and home repair work on target blocks while we recruit renters from throughout the community to become homebuyers.

This year, our fifth completed home on the 500 block of N. East Ave. in Ellwood Park eliminated nearly all vacant properties there, aligning with Baltimore City’s “whole block” approach of addressing clusters of abandoned properties.

We’ll be doing the same on the 500 block of N. Decker Ave. in Ellwood Park, where we’ve redeveloped one vacant property to date, with three more on the way.

This year also marked the expansion of our program into McElderry Park, where we plan to acquire, rehab, and sell 10 currently-vacant properties to owneroccupants over the next few years.

Thanks to additional funding from Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs, our home repairs have increased in scope. We are able to tackle substantial interior repairs, including leaking roofs, unsafe electrical, faulty plumbing, and mobility upgrades.

2 homes rehabbed and sold to first-time homebuyers homes sold to neighborhood renters

$186,825 spent on critical repairs for homeowners in Ellwood Park, McElderry Park, and CARE

45 neighbors participated in our eight week homebuyer education clubs

16 received their homebuying education certificate

Before and after photos of 518 N. East Avenue

HIGHLANDTOWN ARTS DISTRICT TURNS

Southeast CDC celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Highlandtown Arts & Entertainment District with a series of events and promotions, concluding in an epic birthday party for area stakeholders at the new Ovenbird Bakery!

The Highlandtown Arts District 20th anniversary activities included:

• Special branding for the 20th anniversary

• Distribution of 8,000 launch cards in the Arts District neighborhoods

• Bilingual games sheets for local families to engage in activities throughout the summer

• Birthday stickers with design by Highlandtown artist Beth-Ann Wilson

• A fun birthday party for artists and stakeholders with music, food, drinks, live screen printing of 20th Anniversary bags by Matt Muirhead, photo booth, and art demos by Creative Alliance’s Artesanas!

• Community art project creating a magical rainbow snake lantern (built with over 500 community-made scales!) that walked in the Great Halloween Lantern Parade