Rep. Elijah E. Cummings called yesterday for a moratorium on the demolition of public housing in Baltimore until "demonstrable progress" is made in constructing homes for low-income residents.
In a letter to city Housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano, the Democratic congressman said he is "gravely concerned" about plans to demolish housing at 15 sites in Baltimore before redevelopment plans are complete. The demolition is being paid for with money from the city's affordable housing fund.
"I think Mr. Graziano needs to stop and pause," Cummings told The Sun yesterday. "I don't want this to be a bulldozer going through the city, leaving a trail of dust with the people standing on the sidelines with no place to go."
Cummings said he will meet with Graziano early next week to discuss redevelopment and the use of the $59 million affordable housing fund, which includes contributions from the federal government.
Councilwoman Helen L. Holton said yesterday that she will meet with the City Council president to arrange a hearing on how the affordable housing fund is being spent. She said she supports Cummings' call for a moratorium.
"If we use up all the money for demolition and a developer comes along that truly wants to do affordable housing and we're out of money, then what?" Holton asked. She said she wants assurances that redevelopment will occur on demolition sites and that the new development will include low-income housing.
Cummings wrote his letter in response to an article yesterday in The Sun that detailed how a majority of the affordable housing fund was going toward demolition at 15 sites. The Housing Authority does not have plans for redevelopment at all of the sites. Five of the sites to be demolished are public housing complexes; the others are "portions of neighborhoods that have been identified as blighted," Graziano said.
In a statement accompanying his letter, Cummings said: "Baltimore City is facing a serious housing crisis that most adversely affects low-income citizens. Before any more funds are spent on a short-term demolition plan, there must be a comprehensive strategy in place to develop quality, affordable housing in Baltimore."
Graziano said the city Housing Authority has firm plans for 3,700 new units in mixed-income communities. Nearly half of the units would be affordable or low-income housing, he said. He said high-density public housing is being eliminated across the country, and he called Baltimore a leading example.
