Transform Poe

Poe, Poppleton, Hollins Transformation Plan

On September 10, 2018, The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) Executive Director Janet Abrahams announced that the agency received a $1.3 million Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop a transformation plan for Poe Homes and the Poppleton/Hollins Market neighborhood. Baltimore is one of six cities selected to receive nearly $5 million in combined Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants. The other cities include Phenix, AL; Tucson, Arizona; Camden, NJ; and Milwaukee, WI.

The grant will be used to develop a comprehensive neighborhood plan to leverage public and private resources to improve housing access, resident success, and neighborhood vibrancy. Development of the plan requires extensive commitments from a highly qualified team of committed partners.

This Transformation Plan will revolve around the redevelopment of Poe Homes – 288 units of public housing – and the integration of this housing into the footprint of the Poppleton/Hollins Market neighborhood. The Poe, Poppleton, Hollins Transformation Plan is being developed under the framework of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) program, which was launched by the Obama Administration in 2010 to guide federal investment in comprehensive neighborhood revitalization. The CNI program supports locally driven strategies to transform neighborhoods of extreme poverty into sustainable, mixed-income communities.

A Vision for Poe Homes

The long-term vision of the Poe, Poppleton, Hollins Transformation Plan will be to transform Poe Homes and the surrounding community into a Community of Choice, that is inviting, promotes resident pride and unity among neighbors, and is integrated into the surrounding area.

The Plan Will Focus On...

• The redevelopment of Poe Homes, a 288-unit public housing development in disrepair, to support and accommodate existing and future residents of all income types, family composition, and lifestyles.
• A coordinated and targeted neighborhood plan that combines infrastructure improvements economic development, and public safety strategies.
• A comprehensive human services plan that supports families to increase economic self-sufficiency and improve educational outcomes over the long term.

Three Core Goals

The Poe, Poppleton, Hollins Transformation Plan will support a community-driven approach to neighborhood transformation. There are three main core goals:

1. Housing - Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood.
2. Neighborhood - Attract public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to improve the amenities and assets (ex. safety, good schools, commercial activity) available to the community.
3. People - Improve educational and economic outcomes through services and supports delivered directly to youth and their families.