Mayor Scott took a minute to acknowledge the team effort that went into bringing the Baltimore homicide rate down (seen above), but also made it quite clear that the fight is far from over. “While we acknowledge the historic lows we are experiencing, we must simultaneously acknowledge that there is much more work to do and our success makes me commit even further to doing it,” he wrote to close out the caption. Those words ring true more than ever, as the past few weeks alone in the Charm City saw a homicide in Southwest District, shooting death in Fells Point, and as of yesterday a murder-suicide in Dundalk — three of the four victims in those separate cases were under the age of 25 years old. Still, a 22% decrease in homicides is definitely a feat worthy of giving Mayor Scott and his department a pat on the back. To put those stats in perspective, there were 28 homicides in April 2023, a total of 12 that occurred in April 2024 and a record low of just five back in April of this year.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is also getting in on the action of advancement in B-more with the approval of a $50 million grant to support vacant property reduction efforts in Baltimore City by way of the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative, also referred to as “Reinvest Baltimore.” More details on this lucrative investment below, via Maryland.gov:

“‘For this to be Maryland’s decade, it has to be Baltimore’s time,’ said Gov. Moore. ‘We know that if we want to drive investment and growth in Baltimore City, we need to address its vacant housing crisis. And the future of these properties will be written in coordination with local leaders – because those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. Together, we will build a more vibrant, prosperous, and growing Baltimore for all.’

The State awarded a total of $50 million to help redevelop neighborhoods with a high number of vacant properties. These communities have been prioritized due to their impressive redevelopment potential. The funding has been targeted toward specific recipients with a record of success: $15 million will go to Baltimore City and the Maryland Stadium Authority to demolish, stabilize, and acquire vacant properties for redevelopment; $30 million will go toward 16 community development organizations; and $5 million that will go toward large, mixed-use projects from Fiscal Year 2025 to help carry them into their next phase.”