The right to housing, the right to an honest job are integral to a single plan of social life, which must provide dignified living conditions for everyone without discrimination. Every city should feel committed to being a city for everyone. - John Paul II, Address at St. Peter's , June, 1996

A number of Catholics joined with others in supporting the revised Baltimore City Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) which made a number of improvements to its original draft. In the LIVE section dealing with housing, the original draft of the CMP had called for an increased number of rental and for sale homes affordable to those households earning 80% to 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI) - $57,750 to $86,626 for a family of 4 in 2005. It now focuses on homes affordable to those with incomes of 30% ($21,656 for a family of 4 in 2005) to 120% of the AMI. In addition, the revised CMP has a number of action steps to provide affordable quality homes for the elderly and disabled on low fixed incomes, and to provide measures to prevent long time residents from being adversely affected by gentrification and displacement. (the revised Comprehensive Master Plan can be accessed on line at www.liveearnplaylearn.com.)

The Comprehensive Master Plan was approved by the City Planning Commission at a public hearing on June 15 and given over to the City Council.

July 10, 2006 - Anticipated introduction to the City Council of a resolution to adopt the Comprehensive Master Plan.

Sept., 2006 - Anticipated adoption of the CMP as Baltimore City's official Comprehensive Plan by the City Council.

In 2005 the Baltimore City Council created this task force to come up with recommendations on how to create and retain throughout the city mixed income housing across the scale of low, moderate, and higher incomes. A number of Beyond the Boundaries members have been present at its meetings and feel that the Task Force has come up with effective recommendations. As the City Council considers the requirements of the Comprehensive Master Plan and the recommendations of this Task Force, it will be proposing legislation to create and maintain mixed income housing. As this happens, citizens will need to contact City Council members and attend hearings to give their support or to recommend changes to any legislation proposed. One of the recommenda- tions is an affordable housing trust fund and the City Council has already acted on this.

Fourteen City Council members have introduced Bill 06-00422 which calls for an amendment to the City Charter to authorize the establishment of dedicated sources of funding for the creation and maintenance of more quality affordable housing in mixed income settings. City Council approval is required for this amendment to be placed on the ballot in the next general election (the bill is available at www.baltimorecitycouncil.com, - click "Legislative File" - and type in "Affordable Housing Trust Funds" where it says "Search". A CALL TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO SUPPORT THIS BILL IS IMPORTANT.