On July 17, a building that 2018 OSI Community Fellow Shelley Halstead, founder and executive director of Black Women Build Baltimore, purchased to develop into a live/work space for artists near the Black Arts District was severely damaged in a fire. Unfortunately, Shelley was unable to purchase insurance for the building until it was stabilized, which she was unable to do before the fire. According to this post on Baltimore City Voters Facebook page, the building is in danger of being condemned and demolished if it can’t be stabilized soon.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help raise money for the project.
Black Women Build Baltimore trains Black women in carpentry, electrical, and plumbing by restoring vacant and deteriorating houses in Baltimore, and then providing support for those same trainees to purchase the homes they’ve helped restore, giving participants both valuable skills and a home of their own. More about the program can be found here.