By Aria Brent,
AFRO Staff Writer,
abrent@afro.com
And
Tashi McQueen,
AFRO Political Writer,
tmcqueen@afro.com
As the 2024 Maryland General Assembly comes to an end, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), a local community advocacy organization, spoke with the AFRO about the legislation they’re looking to pass this session.
Cross-filed legislation, House Bill 531(H.B.531) and Senate Bill 728 (S.B.728), have been heavily supported by BUILD this year and they’re excited for the impact the bill will have on the Baltimore community.
“The bill would make sure that a person’s parole is neither extended or violated and they are re-incarcerated because of parole fees,” said Sen. Jill Carter (D-Md.-41), the Senate bill sponsor. “Oftentimes, people are trying to get on their feet. They don’t have employment because they have a felony conviction.”
“To continue to have people pay these fees and have their lives hurt in other ways when they can’t even find gainful employment with the conviction on their record. It’s just nonsensical,” she continued.
S.B.728 and H.B. 531 would eliminate the $50 monthly parole supervision and the drug or alcohol abuse testing fees.
“If they don’t pay it they are being threatened to be sent back to prison,” said Marquis Howard, associate organizer with BUILD.
H.B. 531 has been passed in the House by a 107-26 vote, meaning it now has a chance to be heard in the Senate and passed to the governor’s desk for a signature before the session ends.
“We will continue our work organizing returning citizens, and I’m sure some other barriers will come up that we’ll work with them to organize around,” said Leslie McMillan, a co-chair of BUILD.
A top priority for BUILD is their commitment alongside the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) and Mayor Brandon M. Scott in an effort to eradicate the city’s longtime vacant housing crisis. Their endeavor includes a $3 billion investment throughout the next 15 years.
From 2016-2020, the city had 16,000 plus vacant homes but, according to the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, the number of vacant and abandoned properties in Baltimore dropped to 13,541 as of March 19.
“We have been supportive of the governor’s budget around housing,” said McMillan.
Gov. Wes Moore allocated an additional $115 million for housing and community revitalization initiatives under the Department of Housing and Community Development in his proposed fiscal year 2025 budget. Those initiatives include the Project C.O.R.E (Creating Opportunities for Revitalization and Equity) and the Baltimore Regional Neighborhoods Initiative.
Project C.O.R.E. is an initiative between Baltimore City and Maryland state governments to get rid of thousands of vacant properties to redevelop and invest in the city.
McMillan said BUILD is already working in East and Southwest Baltimore to address the vacant housing issue, but they are looking to begin expanding their work to all of the city over the next few years.
Once the housing money moves through the budget process, this year, McMillan said “BUILD will “hit the ground” running, further communicating their agenda to rebuild Baltimore.
All legislation must be passed by both chambers by 11:59 p.m. on Sine Die, April 8. Sine Die is the final day of the 2024 Maryland General Assembly session. Any legislation not passed by then is considered dead and must wait until next year’s session to be reintroduced.
A key component of BUILD’s work is on the local level. Beyond this legislative session, BUILD’s overall initiatives include working with community leaders and connecting mayoral candidates with the community.
“I think what most people are aware of is that BUILD’s work historically has been large-scale city-wide work, but that work finds its power and direction from local action,” said George Hopkins, BUILD co-chair. “That work of them realizing their own power, to bring about change and to direct the direction of the neighborhood is crucial. When we reach across our neighborhoods then we realize we can do that also for our city.”
Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.
