Maryland Governor Wes Moore is expected to announce an initiative to expand investments in communities he says have been impacted by disinvestment and discriminatory policies, along with an expansion to his executive order which pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana convictions.

The announcements will happen at a community roundtable in Cambridge Thursday afternoon.

Moore announces program to create affordable housing

Just last week, Moore announced the UPLIFT program, a new initiative which aims to boost property values and generate wealth for homeowners.

The program, funded with $10 million from the fiscal year 2024 budget, provides financing to housing developers to build affordable housing.

Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, a non-profit homebuilder, will receive $1.25 million to create 26 new three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom homes.

Overall, the goal of the UPLIFT program is to transform vacant lots and structures into quality affordable housing. Moore said the program targets

“One of the major contributors to the racial wealth gap is inequitable appraisal values in communities that have been affected by redlining. That’s why, in this Season of Action, we are taking concrete steps to boost property values and build pathways to greater wealth creation for homeowners,” Moore said in a statement.

In communities impacted by redlining, homes appraise for less than the cost to build due to patterns of disinvestment, according to the governor’s office.

More than 175,000 convictions pardoned

On June 17, 2024, Moore pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana convictions in an executive order. The order impacted misdemeanor charges for individuals found guilty of possessing small amounts of marijuana.

More than 150,000 of the convictions that were pardoned were misdemeanors for simple possession of cannabis, and another 18,000 misdemeanors were for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.

About 25% of the convictions that were pardoned were from Baltimore City, the governor’s office said.