Skip to Content Accessibility Information

Department of Housing and Community Development

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Opens Applications for Community Health and Safety Works Program

NEW CARROLLTON, MD – The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development today announced $10 million in grant funding for local government and nonprofit organizations through its Community Health and Safety Works (CHSW) program. The grant funding will support projects that improve the physical environment that impacts health and safety to improve the livability and economic potential of Maryland communities. 

“To raise the quality of life and encourage safe and vibrant Maryland communities, we must raise the standards of how public projects and community spaces look and feel,” said Secretary Jake Day. “Projects created through the Community Health and Safety Works program will become important assets across Maryland, enriching the social, cultural, and economic fabric of their communities.”

Through the program, local governments and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible for grant funding to implement crime prevention strategies through physical design improvements, operational activities, and through community vigilance and maintenance. CHSW projects are required to be located in Baltimore City or an area designated as a Maryland Sustainable Community elsewhere in the state.

Eligible projects must fall into one of four competitive categories: 

    1. Community Placemaking: Eligible projects are community-led collaborations that engage artists and designers to create lovable and safer spaces for community use. Grants up to $100,000.
    2. Environmental Health and Justice: Eligible projects will eliminate predatory and unhealthy practices such as illegal dumping, litter and traffic hazards and address urban heat islands and other conditions related to climate change. Grants up to $100,000.
    3. Cameras, Lighting, and Related Safety Services: Eligible projects address illegal and dangerous activities in communities through lighting, camera surveillance strategies and related community safety services and technology. Grants up to $100,000.
    4. Technical Assistance for CHSW Initiatives: Individual and teams of nonprofit providers will provide project design and implementation support to the awardees of CHSW project funding. Grant amounts will be determined by the scope of services provided.

The program application will open March 21, 2024. Applications will be accepted through April 25 dependent on funding availability. To access the application, virtual training session dates, and the new Resource and Inspiration Guide, which includes additional resources to guide projects and integrate health and safety into placemaking efforts, visit https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Communities/Pages/csw/default.aspx.