Southwest Visions, Inc'

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Southwest Visions, Inc.

• 1120 Hollins St.
• Baltimore, Maryland 21223

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since 1983 Southwest Visions
Has worked to provide Affordable
Housing in southwest Baltimore
City
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Southwest Visions Target Area
MKL Blvd to Gilmor St. Baltimore St. to Pratt
St.
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Affordable Housing serves individuals who earn
under the Area Median Income of 60,000
Firefighters
Waiters
Bank Tellers
Teachers
Carpenters
LPNs
Barbers
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SWV provides Affordable Housing as Homeownership

• 1224 West Lombard Street

Sold 6/2001 56,000
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andAffordable Rental Units

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Southwest Baltimore has a Rich History

The Union Square and Barre Circle Historical
Districts

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Of Historic Landmarks . .
The H.L.Menken House
Hollins Market - 1870
Union Square Park
St. Peter the Apostle Church - 1850
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. . and Community Anchors
The Learning Bank
Union Square
BO Museum
Irish Shrine Museum
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• When first developed, the area provided
• housing for wealthy railroad officials,
• managers, and shop workers

Alley Houses
Union Square Townhouses
On Lemmon St.
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Trends in Baltimore City over the last 25 years
have brought

• Disinvestment
• Neglect
• Urban Decay

• to the Hollins and Union Square Neighborhoods
• Between 1990 and 2000
• Population declined by 10
• Vacant and abandoned properties increased by 15

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Today our Neighborhoods struggle with . . .

• Trash
• Vacancies
• Drugs
• Crime

• Flipping
• Out-of-State Investors

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Founded by Sr. Katherine Nueslein,R.S.M.Southwe
st Visions has been working for over 20 years
to assure that Decent and Affordable Housing
remains available in the area
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Properties Currently Owned by SWV
9 rental units 3 under rehab 3 recent
acquisitions
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Current Rental Units
115 S. Carey St.
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and Properties under Rehab
W. Lombard Street
W. Lombard Street
S. Arlington Street
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Profile of some Tenants

• A single parent with teenage son
• An immigrant family whose children were first
  generation to obtain a college degree
• A recovered substance abuser, homeless as a teen,
  who transitioned from Marthas Place into her
  first home

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Southwest Visions Volunteer Groupscome to spend
a morning, a day, or a week . .

• helping to Rehab houses

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Volunteer Groups from St. Ignatius
Church . . .

• cleaning up near Hollins Market

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Volunteer Groups from James Madison U. spend a
week . .

• Beautifying the Neighborhood

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• CHALLENGES
• OPPORTUNITIES

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Housing in southwest Baltimore
Two-thirds of occupied units are rentals
One-quarter of the housing units are vacant
One-fifth are abandoned (not for sale or rent)
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Population Changes in southwestbetween 1990 and
2000

• The area lost 200 individuals or 5 of its
  population
• The racial balance changed from
• 36 African-American in 1990 to
  59 in 2000
• The current population is characterized by a
• relatively small (5) percent of persons over
  65 and
• large (43) percent of families who are
• single heads of household with
  children.

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A New ChallengeConstruction cost-increases have
risen in past 6 months
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A New ChallengeAcquisition costs in the area
have increased 70 to 90 in past 6 months
Empty Shells now sell for 70,000 to 100,000
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New Challenges
Tax Assessments have increased 3-fold on
average Government subsidies for housing
programs (block grants) have been
reduced
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As a Result . .

• Rising costs makes it difficult for SWV to rehab
  properties that can be sold or rented as
  affordable units
• Creeping gentrification affects the number of
  housing units available to low and moderate
  income families

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An Opportunity

• In 2004 UMMC announced construction of
• a Biotech Center
• on two vacant blocks on Baltimore Street

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Facing these Challenges, how will SWV continue
to provide Affordable Housing?

• New Plans
• New Partners

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Pratt Street Project

• Southwest Visions is excited about a
• new project that will increase our ability
• to provide more units of affordable
• workforce housing

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Pratt Street Project

• In 2005 SWV purchased

. . . and a vacant lot
Two properties on West Pratt St.
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Pratt Street Project Phase One build out the
vacant lot
Vacant Lot next to the former Church of the
Fourteen Holy Martyrs
View of Downtown Baltimore
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A Site with a HistoryFormer Convent of
theFourteen Holy Martyrs Church
Former Fourteen Holy Martyrs, now the New Mt.
Sinai Cathedral Baptist Church
Former Church Convent
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• As we plan the development
• of these and other properties,
• Southwest Visions remains committed
• to providing decent, affordable housing
• in the southwest area of Baltimore City