Baltimore, MD – In January of 2020, Fannie Mae awarded a contract for Baltimore to develop a model to provide school-centered housing to young families in elementary school. After a year of work and substantial engagement with over 100 Baltimore and National experts in the fields of affordable housing, family homelessness, education, and community schools, we are pleased to announce that the white paper that describes the SCHORE (Student-Centered Housing Response) model is complete and is available at www.updconsulting.com/recent-work/schore/.

The model uses affordable housing as a lever to improve educational outcomes and school enrollment stability for elementary-aged children in neighborhood schools. The program will intervene before a family becomes homeless through the relationship between families and their school community. How will this work? Baltimore DHCD will partner with affordable housing providers to facilitate the rehabilitation and maintenance of the properties near neighborhood schools, and Baltimore City Schools will identify the families of students in need of housing interventions.

Baltimore DHCD, in partnership with Baltimore City Schools and the Department of Planning, intends to implement this model with three pilot schools by the end of 2021. The pilot schools are Mary E. Rodman Elementary School, Cecil Elementary School, and Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary/Middle School. These schools were chosen through a rigorous, quantitative process outlined in the white paper that focused on schools in middle-market neighborhoods and schools with strong leadership and community school programs. 

Mayor Brandon Scott
“We are working to address existing barriers to success in every way that we can,” stated Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.  “This model of intervention before a family becomes homeless will help stabilize families and ensure improved educational outcomes for our young people who may otherwise be facing homelessness.  I’m pleased that Fannie Mae saw the value in Baltimore developing this model.”

Alice Kennedy, Acting Housing Commissioner
“Addressing housing instability has to be met on many fronts,” said DHCD Acting Commissioner Alice Kennedy.  “This school-centric approach is poised to become another tool in our toolkit to provide safe, stable and affordable housing, and to improve the quality of life for all Baltimore residents.”

Doug Austin, President & CEO, UPD Consulting

“The goal of reducing the toxic stress on the development of the brains of young students is central to this model, and we think our program will result in reduced student mobility and better educational and life outcomes for participating families,” said Doug Austin, CEO of UPD Consulting. “But a big part of the innovation here is the collective effort of multiple public sector agencies working together to address several objectives at the same time—improved student outcomes, family economic stability, and neighborhood revitalization.”

Dr. Sonja Santelises, CEO, City Schools
“Family homelessness and housing insecurity are major challenges for many of our students and families, directly affecting their educational progress. Early intervention and support will improve their educational outcomes and keep them on the path to success,” said City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises. “I appreciate the work of the steering committee, whose collaboration and partnership will have a meaningful impact on overcoming these significant obstacles.”

This work would not be possible without the insights and energy of our SCHORE steering committee.

Alice Kennedy (Acting Commissioner, DHCD) 

Cheryl Casciani (Director of Community Planning and Revitalization, Baltimore City Department of Planning)

Talib Horne (Director, Baltimore Civic Site, Annie E. Casey Foundation)

Tina Hike-Hubbard (Chief Communications and Community Engagement Officer, Baltimore City Schools)

Laurie Latuda Kinkel (Vice President, Baltimore Community Foundation)

Jennifer Leonard (INSPIRE Program Manager, Department of Planning)

Joe Manko (Program Officer, Abell Foundation)

Annie Milli (Executive Director, Live Baltimore)

Charles Rutheiser (Senior Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation)

Laura Weeldreyer (Executive Director, Maryland Family Network)

Katie Yorick (Chief of Policy and Partnership, Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services)

Learn more about the project and download the white paper click here. 

Baltimore DHCD

Baltimore DHCD leads City effort to promote thriving neighborhoods through community revitalization investments; supporting homeowners; funding crucial programs and neighborhood stakeholders; creating and preserving affordable housing and ensuring safe conditions through code enforcement.

UPD Consulting

UPD Consulting is a change management consulting company dedicated to increasing the value and effectiveness of public sector organizations seeking to improve social equity. UPD identifies and addresses the organizational cultural shifts that must take place for new practices to succeed. UPD provides comprehensive implementation services with a focus on data, operational improvements, and performance management.

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