Last week, Baltimore joined four other cities in receiving funds from the Living
Cities Integration Initiative. The $19 million award will help build on the work
already underway in three target areas—along the Red Line and in neighborhoods
in East and Central Baltimore—to better connect development with more job
opportunities and economic benefits for lower–income residents.

Living Cities, a cooperative of 22 of the world’s largest foundations and
financial institutions, strongly supports innovative projects to address deep–
rooted problems that affect low–income people. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings–Blake
traveled to Detroit last week to accept the award. "Baltimore is thrilled to be
selected as a participant in the Living Cities Integration Initiative," the Mayor
said. "This is a concrete opportunity to advance two of our most important
goals: connecting residents to real jobs and driving investment to city
neighborhoods."

The funds will be used to reduce barriers to local hiring and put incentives
in place to make sure communities benefit more from development projects,
especially when it comes to jobs. Resources will also go towards connecting
residents to employment by helping people with access to transportation.

This type of support and investment will make it easier to build a Red Line that
truly brings communities together. It will further Baltimore’s current efforts to
transform neighborhoods and improve quality of life for everyone, and it will
support programs to develop mixed–income housing, new businesses, and other
services like grocery stores and retail. Funding will assist at least 1,200
residents being connected to job pipeline services, 400 units of mixed–income
housing being built, and 346,000 square feet of mixed–use commercial space
being developed in all three target communities.

The four other winners include Cleveland, Detroit, Newark, and the
Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul.