Sacred Places
Parity Homes
A lot where four houses stood, beside the Highway to Nowhere.
WHERE
Baltimore, MD
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Parity Homes
Visit
HOW IT CAME TO BE
They buy the block, not the house.
01
The Need
Parity Homes was started as a response to the gentrification and displacement the community was experiencing in its own hometown. The site is a lot where four properties were recently demolished, abutting a section of Baltimore's Highway to Nowhere.
02
The Vision
Parity's model is deliberate: rather than renovating and selling individual homes, which is often a pathway to gentrification, it first creates a social collective of community members to demonstrate interest in a block, then pre-sells the entire block and renovates house by house, building wealth, financial preparedness, and community fabric together. Door-knocking sessions elicited what neighbours want on this lot: benches, shade trees, outdoor movie nights, natural play elements, a pollinator garden, and possible traffic calming.
03
The Transformation
Come back soon. [Placeholder per 19 Aug call.]
WHO TENDS IT
iman Yasin
Firesoul, Parity Homes
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Bree Jones
Firesoul, Parity Homes
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