Seeing Community Development in Action
Earlier this month, the NeighborWorks Capital team gathered for a staff-wide meeting at our Silver Spring office. We kicked things off with a meaningful visit, traveling to Baltimore to meet with Dan Ellis, Executive Director of NHS of Baltimore. Dan met us for lunch at The Mill on North food hall and gave us a firsthand look at the organization’s transformative work in West Baltimore.
Lunch at The Mill on North was more than just a meal; it was a full-circle moment for our team. In 2022, NeighborWorks Capital provided a loan to support the development of the food hall, part of a broader community revitalization initiative that has been in the works since 2016. NHS of Baltimore partnered with Coppin Heights CDC and Osprey Property Company to redevelop a former lumber yard into a mixed-use hub that now features 65 affordable apartments, a Truist Bank branch, and The Mill on North. As we gathered around the table, Dan shared the inspiring backstory of The Mill on North, how the idea was born from community feedback, the obstacles they faced, and the innovative solutions that made it a reality.
After hearing from residents who wanted a family-friendly place to eat and from local restaurateurs struggling to find affordable space, NHS of Baltimore and its partners developed The Mill on North, a shared food hall model designed to lower barriers to entry for small business owners. Financing the food hall required some creativity, as the project didn’t fit into traditional banking models. NHS of Baltimore turned to CDFIs instead, and NeighborWorks Capital and the Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund (NIIF), a Baltimore-based CDFI, teamed up to provide $1.5 million in loan financing ($750,000 each), complemented by $2.4 million in state and local grants.
After lunch, Dan led our team on a tour of nearby homes that NHS of Baltimore had acquired and rehabilitated. For years, West Baltimore has suffered from disinvestment, and NHS of Baltimore is helping to change that by partnering with local developers to renovate vacant properties and sell them to new homeowners, bringing stability and renewed hope to the neighborhood.
In 2024 alone, NHS of Baltimore has achieved the following:
- 13 vacant properties acquired
- 13 renovated and sold
- 20 homes under construction
- 90 older adults received essential home repairs, totaling $1.5 million in investments to help them stay warm and dry
This work reflects NHS of Baltimore’s deep commitment to comprehensive community development, providing innovative homeownership strategies, creative loan products, and quality education and counseling for potential homeowners.
NeighborWorks Capital is honored to partner with NHS of Baltimore in advancing this vision. Seeing the impact of their work up close at The Mill on North and throughout the West Baltimore neighborhood was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when communities are empowered and supported.
