COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT

Development That Benefits

Community Benefit Agreements are contracts that are signed by community groups and a real estate developer that requires the developer to bring some kind of benefits, such as specific amenities for the local community or neighborhood. The benefit is supposed to make the neighborhood to better address the needs of the local community. It is supposed to be a process that is inclusive of the community, allowing for community input on a development project and responding to that input.

In Baltimore, there are a lot of low-income areas and communities of color, both of which have been historically excluded from the development process.  There are also issues of gentrification, and low-income families being essentially pushed out of their homes when they can no longer afford their homes as a result of the development.

What is a CBA?
Community Benefit Agreements are contracts that are signed by community groups and a real estate developer that requires the developer to bring some kind of benefits, such as specific amenities for the local community or neighborhood. The benefit is supposed to make the neighborhood to better address the needs of the local community. It is supposed to be a process that is inclusive of the community, allowing for community input on a development project and responding to that input.

In Baltimore, there are a lot of low-income areas and communities of color, both of which have been historically excluded from the development process.  There are also issues of gentrification, and low-income families being essentially pushed out of their homes when they can no longer afford their homes as a result of the development.

Example of CBAs in Baltimore
The Port Covington community benefit agreement is the most current example of a CBA in Baltimore.