Just Communities Designation

The Moore-Miller Administration established the first-of-its-kind Just Community Designation in 2024.

Upon designation in 2025, the State has prioritized Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) funding within 419 communities that have been affected by exclusionary policies.

Accomplishments

Why It matters

The designation serves to counteract policies of the past that have robbed generations of families of wealth-building through home ownership and the intentional disinvestment in minoritized neighborhoods.

By identifying these areas of disinvestment, the Just Communities Designation can target investment in areas that have been historically excluded from the benefits of State resources.

Just Communities Designation Map Viewer

Throughout the State of Maryland there are 419 communities designated as Just Communities.

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These communities were selected using a detailed, data-driven process based on the goals of HB241/SB308. The process used public data to assess overall community conditions and identify areas with the greatest need and opportunity.

Each community was scored using factors such as:

• Priority Funding Area
• Homeownership
• Property Value Trends
• Commercial/Residential Vacancy
• Redlining
• State Imprisonment Rate
• Proximity to Superfund sites
• Exposure to Lead-Based Paint
• Rates of Asthma Among Older Adults.

Want to learn more about how the communities were chosen? Read the full methodology.

How it Works

Applicants for eligible State funding will be asked if they’re located in a designated Just Community, and if so, their application will be prioritized for State investment. In its current stage of implementation, eligible funding programs in which Just Communities are prioritized are through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development:

Division of Just Communities

DHCD’s Division of Just Communities works to support the State in counteracting past policy decisions by government agencies and entities that have adversely impacted communities for multiple generations. This Division is responsible for developing a map overlay to guide the DHCD Secretary in recommending certain areas in Maryland as Just Communities to the Governor for designation.

Under the leadership of Assistant Secretary Cat Goughnour, the Division of Just Communities (DJC) marks a focused effort by DHCD and the State of Maryland to help reverse decades of disinvestment by building strong partnerships that focus on communities that show a need for reinvestment to ensure they have a voice in decision-making and benefit from public investment.

Current and Future Goals

Resources

 

 

Legislation
Just Community Designation

Read​ House Bill 241​

 

 

Separate and Unequal Neighborhoods

Read Report

 

 

Have Questions about Just Communities

Read FAQ

Contact Information

Program Contact: Cat Goughnour
Email: JustCommunities.dhcd@maryland.gov

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