{"id":13749,"date":"2026-06-02T16:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T20:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/?p=13749"},"modified":"2026-06-03T12:23:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T16:23:09","slug":"eviction-prevention-food-inaccessibility-the-focus-of-day-trips-community-connections-visit-to-baltimore-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/2026\/06\/02\/eviction-prevention-food-inaccessibility-the-focus-of-day-trips-community-connections-visit-to-baltimore-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Eviction Prevention, Food Inaccessibility the Focus of Day Trips: Community Connections Visit to Baltimore County"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pikesville Armory redevelopment also highlighted with tour, check presentation\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>TOWSON, Md. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(June 2, 2026) \u2013 Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day today visited Baltimore County as part of the Department\u2019s new phase of county tours, meeting with local leaders to discuss eviction prevention and food inaccessibility and touring the Pikesville Armory redevelopment project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tuesday was the second stop in the Department\u2019s Day Trips: Community Connections series, an evolution of its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/category\/day-trip\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">broader Day Trips initiative<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> created in 2023. The new Community Connections phase focuses on engaging with key community and civic partners closest to the work in housing, community revitalization, homeless solutions, business development, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.32.18-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-13754\" src=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.32.18-AM-300x226.png\" alt=\"Jake Day Julia Glanz\" width=\"300\" height=\"226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.32.18-AM-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.32.18-AM-1024x772.png 1024w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.32.18-AM-768x579.png 768w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.32.18-AM-1536x1158.png 1536w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.32.18-AM.png 1578w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Secretary Day and Department staff held two community roundtables in Towson with local leaders focused on eviction prevention and food inaccessibility in Baltimore County communities. Key goals of these roundtable discussions include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Strengthening collaboration between the Department and local Baltimore County eviction stakeholders to identify effective eviction prevention strategies, address service gaps and policy challenges, and align local efforts with the Department\u2019s statewide goal to reduce evictions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Developing strategies to address the growing issue of food inaccessibility in Baltimore County by bringing together the Department \u2013 as administrator of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dhcd.maryland.gov\/Business\/Pages\/NourishMD-Grant-Program.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">NourishMD Grant Program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u2013 and local leaders<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe pathway to a Maryland with more opportunities for work, wages, and wealth starts with strong collaboration between the State and the people working on the ground level to make our towns and cities better,\u201d <\/span><b>said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cToday was a great opportunity to learn from our local partners on how we can continue to wo<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">rk together to make Baltimore County\u2019s communities stronger, more resilient, and more equitable for all \u2013 especially our most vulnerable neighbors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The visit included a tour of Pikesville Armory, a former military base undergoing a multi-use redevelopment into an<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> arts-infused intergenerational community hub. Built in 1903, the 14-acre Pikesville Armory was used as an active military campus by the National Guard before being decommissioned in 2016. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The revitalized site will host public green space, indoor and outdoor recreation, art spaces, intergenerational multidisciplinary programming, playgrounds, caf\u00e9s, makerspace, veterans\u2019 services, small businesses, school-based job development, and will be the site of a future housing development. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ground was broken on the project in January 2024 and Phase 2 is projected to be completed in 2028.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">From Fiscal Year 2022 through Fiscal Year 2027, the Department has supported the Pikesville Armory Foundation and Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc. (CHAI) with $16.75 million in funding through its Division of Neighborhood Revitalization\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/2025\/01\/09\/maryland-department-of-housing-and-community-development-announces-pikesville-armory-awarded-fiscal-year-2025-catalytic-revitalization-tax-credit\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Catalytic Revitalization Tax Credit Program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dhcd.maryland.gov\/Communities\/Pages\/StateRevitalizationPrograms\/default.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Revitalization Programs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, including a $500,000 Fiscal Year 2027 Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative award to support the Armory\u2019s Workforce Development Makerspace project.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Secretary Day joined Pikesville Armory Foundation leaders and state and local elected officials to present a ceremonial check celebrating the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/2026\/06\/01\/state-of-maryland-announces-73-3-million-in-awards-for-statewide-community-revitalization-and-economic-development\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">recently-announced<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> funding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;The State of Maryland and DHCD have been incredible partners and supporters since the creation of the Pikesville Armory Foundation,\u201d said <\/span><b>David Ginsburg, Executive Director, Pikesville Armory Foundation. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThey helped us open the NCO Club in May of 2025 and their funding and partnership will enable us to begin phase 2 in March 2026 &#8211; which will include athletic fields, walking paths, an event lawn and an ADA-accessible playground. This newest award for the first makerspace in Baltimore County will have a huge effect on workforce development and job creation.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-13761\" src=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.40.48-AM-300x207.png\" alt=\"Baltimore County Pikesville Armory Check Presentation \" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.40.48-AM-300x207.png 300w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.40.48-AM-1024x708.png 1024w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.40.48-AM-768x531.png 768w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.40.48-AM-1536x1062.png 1536w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-9.40.48-AM.png 1580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here\u2019s what community partners had to say about the visit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Food insecurity isn&#8217;t just about an empty stomach; it\u2019s an invisible barrier to a student\u2019s future. When a child sits in a classroom wondering where their next meal is coming from, they aren&#8217;t thinking about math or reading\u2014they are in survival mode. By failing to secure their basic nutritional needs, we aren&#8217;t just letting them go hungry today; we are compromising their ability to learn, grow, and thrive tomorrow, a fundamental investment in equity and education.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d \u2013 <\/span><b>Wendy Stringfellow, <\/b><b>Executive Director, <\/b><b>Student Support Network\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cDHCD\u2019s attention to housing instability in Baltimore County, which leads the state in eviction filings, is welcome and critical. Our clients are proud to live in the county; however, they face rampant unaffordability and an inadequate safety net. We look forward to partnering with Secretary Day to develop interventions that stabilize housing while investing in housing affordability for the many renters who live and work in the community.&#8221; <\/span><b>\u2013 Vicki Schultz, Executive Director, Maryland Legal Aid<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cCreating a more food secure Maryland will require a holistic approach to addressing the root causes of hunger and other effects of poverty in our state. The Maryland Food Bank is proud to be a part of these conversations, meant to build and strengthen partnership between the state, local jurisdictions such as Baltimore County, and community based-organizations. We applaud DHCD for convening these groups together and look forward to continuing efforts to support the communities we serve.\u201d <\/span><b>\u2013 Anne Wallerstedt, Vice President of Government Relations, Maryland Food Bank<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cIt is important to remember that creating partnerships not only helps us to think differently about the work we do and the progress we can achieve in the lives of individuals and families, but also how we can collectively have an impact on the broader spectrum to create sustainable change.\u201d<\/span><b> \u2013 Angela Young, Eviction Prevention Counselor, Courtroom Advocacy Project<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWe are grateful to Secretary Day and the DHCD team for the opportunity to convene important conversations around eviction prevention, affordable food access, and community revitalization with subject matter experts within Baltimore County Government as well trusted non-profit partners. Now, more than ever, we need to work collaboratively across all levels of government, and we appreciate the State\u2019s engagement as we work towards identifying solutions that meet the needs of our residents and lift up communities in Baltimore County and beyond.\u201d <\/span><b>\u2013 Kathy Klausmeier, Baltimore County Executive<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is delighted to participate in the Community Connections initiative. Our residents are better served when we work in tandem with our partners to meet the needs of our communities.\u201d <\/span><b>\u2013 Dr. Lucy E. Wilson,<\/b> <b>Health Officer and Director, <\/b><b>Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services<\/b><\/p>\n<p><br style=\"font-weight: 400\" \/><br style=\"font-weight: 400\" \/><br style=\"font-weight: 400\" \/><br style=\"font-weight: 400\" \/><br style=\"font-weight: 400\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pikesville Armory redevelopment also highlighted with tour, check presentation\u00a0 TOWSON, Md. (June 2, 2026) \u2013 Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day today visited Baltimore County as part of the Department\u2019s new phase of county tours, meeting with local leaders to discuss eviction prevention and food inaccessibility and touring the Pikesville Armory<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/2026\/06\/02\/eviction-prevention-food-inaccessibility-the-focus-of-day-trips-community-connections-visit-to-baltimore-county\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":242,"featured_media":13751,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,295,293,26,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-development","category-day-trip","category-maryland-county-tours","category-neighborhood-revitalization","category-press-releases"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/242"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13749"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13765,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13749\/revisions\/13765"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dhcd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}