The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in Maryland oversees a new division called Just Communities. The Division of Just Communities is responsible for developing, implementing, and accelerating strategies to lift up communities that have experienced historical and ongoing socio-economic marginalization.
The Just Communities Act was signed into place this past July and is for the purpose of authorizing the Governor, on the recommendation of the Secretary of DHCD, to designate certain areas as Just Communities based on certain criteria; providing for the prioritization of State funding for Just Communities; and generally relating to Just Communities.
According to Jake Day, Secretary of DHCD, when his department created this new division in 2023, it was to ensure that the state makes “positive, equity-driven policy decisions that specifically counteract decades of harm and disinvestment in primarily minoritized communities”. DHCD just announced the publication of a baseline report as their first formal publication from this division. The baseline report does the following:
Defines the new division’s scope to both internal and external stakeholders;
Demonstrates the division’s strong understanding of Maryland housing policy’s historic wrongs; Celebrates ongoing initiatives that can advance racial equity; and Introduces the Department’s Just Communities measurement strategy.
To subscribe for updates about the Division of Just Communities, you can visit dhcd.maryland.gov/subscribe.
Lauren Bunting is a Broker with Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva in Ocean City, Maryland.
