Challenges and Opportunities in Changing Urban Housing Markets

In the 2010s, despite a major effort by the city to restore vacant properties, Baltimore’s vacant property inventory remained steady at around 16,000 properties. By 2025, that number had dropped to under 13,000—despite no major changes in public programs or funding devoted to vacant properties. Rising home prices in Baltimore’s middle neighborhoods have been a principal driving force. Similar trends are emerging in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and other legacy cities. This market shift has profound implications for neighborhood change and vacant property policy. It also demands that local governments, nonprofits, and land banks reassess how they deploy public subsidies for housing and revitalization. This webinar will explore the dynamics behind this dramatic market shift and what they mean for community development practitioners, land banks, and other partners in urban revitalization. Join this webinar to: • Understand the public and private forces driving rapid market shifts in middle neighborhoods • Learn how these shifts affect local governments, community development corporations (CDCs) and land banks • Explore strategies communities can use to take advantage of market shifts to foster sustainable neighborhood change and affordability Speakers: • Alan Mallach – Senior Fellow, Center for Community Progress • Michael Braverman – Former Commissioner of Housing & Community Development, City of Baltimore • Danielle Lewinski – Chief Program Officer, Center for Community Progress