Orchard Ridge becomes Maryland’s first UPLIFT community
By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced on June 13 that the Orchard Ridge community in Northeast Baltimore would be the State of Maryland’s first Utilizing Progressive Lending Investments to Finance Transformation (UPLIFT) community.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor Maryland/Joe Andrucyk
UPLIFT is a program that aims to help enhance property values and homeownership in historically disinvested communities by increasing the pace of development, construction and sale of affordable housing through public and private partnerships. The program will help improve the infrastructure of public amenities such as parks and recreational locations as well.
“Today we are back in Baltimore to announce the next chapter in our work to build new pathways to work, wages and wealth for everybody in the state of Maryland and not just some people,” said Moore. “We know that the wealth gap has cost this country $16 trillion in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) over the past two decades. That GDP continually highlights the fact that bigotry and racism is deeply expensive.”
One of the major contributors to the wealth gap is unfair and inequitable appraisal values in communities, said Moore.
“Inequitable appraisal values have been one of the greatest wealth thefts that we have seen in our society,” said Moore. “In this season of action, we are taking concrete steps to boost property values and build pathways to greater wealth creation for homeowners. If one of the greatest generators of wealth is home ownership, then let’s create more homeowners.”
Moore said that’s why the UPLIFT program is so important.
UPLIFT supplies critical gap financing to not-for-profit and for-profit developers to build quality housing that is also affordable. Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, a nonprofit homebuilder entity, will receive $1.25 million to help improve development in the community. This investment in turn will help create 27 new three bedroom, one and a half bathroom homes.
“We now have a president of the United States who is unapologetically divesting from Black and underserved communities, actively and intentionally dismantling minority business programs and banning books about our history, ” said Moore. “We are going to show that there is in fact an alternative.”
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor Maryland/Joe Andrucyk
Moore touted the state’s ability to secure $1.3 Billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which is an increase of nearly 60 percent in funding.
“In our time we have delivered more than $800 million in state contracts to Black owned businesses,” said Moore.
Moore emphasized that the launch of UPLIFT is not the end of a conversation, but a promissory note that state and city leaders are just getting started.
“I’m honored to be able to share this moment with you all,” said State Sen. Cory McCray (D-Md.-45). “This is a long day coming, because I can remember running up and down here as a teenager. I can remember what it used to look like, but I’m still allowed to be able to see it meet its potential and see what it can be.”
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor Maryland/Joe Andrucyk
“I ran for office because I saw my city crawling, and now I’m starting to see it running,” added McCray.
Baltimore City Councilman Antonio “Tony” Glover (D-District 13) echoed McCray’s sentiment, another legislator that grew up in East Baltimore.
“At times it was hard to come to this neighborhood, because of the issues that plagued most parts of our neighborhoods,” said Glover. “But Guess What? There’s a new day. There’s a new time, and I want to thank Governor Moore for all you have done for our city. You’ve led by example…we have not left this community behind.”
