The past two years saw the launch and expansion of the Homewood Community Partners Initiative (HCPI), a multidimensional partnership with the communities surrounding the Homewood campus. The purpose of HCPI is to create and implement a comprehensive common agenda for the revitalization of the 10 neighborhoods around the Homewood campus. Following extensive consultations with local community representatives, the neighborhoods identified a shared vision to increase population by 3,000 households in 10 years. That vision is guided by 29 recommendations ranging from quality-of-life improvements to more vibrant retail to local hiring and purchasing.

The purpose of HCPI is to create and implement a comprehensive common agenda for the revitalization of the 10 neighborhoods around the Homewood campus.

Johns Hopkins has since committed $10 million to the estimated $60 million project—this was the first money in, often a challenge in major community investment initiatives. To date, the university has invested $2.6 million of that $10 million, leveraging nearly $15 million in additional commitments. The initiatives have included renovations at the Margaret Brent and Barclay elementary and middle schools, with plans underway to create flagship academic programs in the schools; an expansion of the university’s Live Near Your Work program; university investment in an external fund that provides gap financing for high-impact real estate development; a reopening of a shuttered community center; and a partnership with Healthy Neighborhoods, which helps strong but undervalued neighborhoods by offering below-market-rate mortgages and matching rehab grants.

More is now underway, including grants for neighborhood capital projects, public safety initiatives, and a fund to acquire and redevelop blighted properties—as well as metrics to ensure the success of those projects. The mission is to create a vibrant urban center and a livable community with active, collaborative stakeholders who work closely together and support each other’s projects for a stronger community.