The Clean Corps Demonstration Fund will provide grants to nonprofit organizations to clean 16 neighborhoods across Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD. (Monday, February 6, 2023) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Baltimore City Department of Planning, the Department of Public Works and the Mayor's Office of Employment Development in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Recovery Programs are announcing the recipients of the Clean Corps competitive grant program. Clean Corps is an initiative to provide employment to Baltimore residents to clean 16 neighborhoods as part of the City's strategy to clean and maintain public spaces in historically disinvested neighborhoods throughout Baltimore.

"Every Baltimorean deserves to live in a clean, thriving community," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "We must take bold, yet measurable steps to immediately abate vacant lots, dispose of trash and debris and empty public trash cans throughout our communities - especially those communities that have been historically overlooked and underserved. Through Clean Corps we are actively expanding our capacity to maintain neighborhoods and proactively address blighted spaces, all while providing meaningful employment for residents in our communities."

Clean Corps is fueled by a $14.6M investment of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds distributed through a competitive grant process in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Recovery Programs and the Baltimore Civic Fund (BCF). Six community-based organizations will hire and train local residents at a rate of $15/per hour to clean and maintain vacant lots and alleys, remove street debris and empty public trash cans in select communities.

The selected Clean Corps grantees are:

• Bon Secours Baltimore Community Works, Inc. will work with the residents of the Boyd-Booth,Penrose,Fayette Street Outreach, Carrollton Ridge, and Franklin Square neighborhoods.

"We appreciate that this initiative ties directly into Mayor Scott's vision for implementing the ‘clean and green' components of the City's Action Plan and the City's Green Network Plan," said Director of the Baltimore City Department of Planning Chris Ryer. "We look forward to working with the grantees and the residents of these selected neighborhoods on this important work."

Additionally, Westport Community Economic Development Corporation will work with residents of the Westport neighborhood, leveraging the South Baltimore Casino Impact Area investment.

This Mayoral initiative is a multi-agency, all-hands-on-deck effort. The program will help supplement ongoing DPW operations and offer the opportunity for community members to learn valuable skills that can lead to full-time employment with DPW and other city agencies.

"I am excited for the Department of Public Works (DPW) to partner with Mayor Scott, and the Department of Planning for Clean Corps," said DPW Director Jason W. Mitchell. "My hope is that this program will encourage residents to renew their love and commitment to improve the overall cleanliness of our community. A cleaner, greener, more beautiful Baltimore is a city-wide effort and will take full participation from all of our community members, partners, residents and stakeholders to achieve it."

Ensuring Clean and Healthy Communities is a core pillar of Mayor Scott's Action Plan, first announced last December. Goal three of this pillar is to improve the cleanliness of Baltimore neighborhoods, streets, parks, and public spaces.

The Clean Corps initiative commences this month and will run through January 2025.

For more information, contact B.R. Hammed-Owens, Mayor's Office for Community & Economic Development (bukola.hammed-owens@baltimorecity.gov) or Stephanie Smith, Baltimore City Department of Planning at 443-792-9853 or stephanie.smith@baltimorecity.gov.

For specific programs, please reach out to Treston.Codrington@baltimorecity.gov for Broadway East, East Baltimore Midway, CHM, Four by Four, Darley Park, Arlington, and Greenspring and Ashley.Cannon1@baltimorecity.gov for Penn North, Harlem Park, Sandtown-Winchester, Druid Heights, Upton, Boyd-Booth/Penrose/Fayette Street Outreach, Carrollton Ridge, Franklin Square, and Westport.