The Opportunity Collaborative
For a Greater Baltimore Region.
The Opportunity Collaborative (The Collaborative) is the consortium charged with developing a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (RPSD) for the Baltimore region. The Collaborative’s members include local governments, state agencies, universities and nonprofit organizations. The Co-Chairs of the Collaborative are Mayor Joshua Cohen of the City of Annapolis and Scot T. Spencer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In addition to the RPSD, the Collaborative will produce a Regional Housing Plan and a Regional Workforce Development Plan.
The RPSD will help the Baltimore region coordinate investments in housing, transportation and workforce development to reduce disparities and connect all of our citizens to a prosperous future. The outcomes of our plan will lower transportation costs for families, create cleaner and safer communities and increase educational and employment opportunities throughout the region. Central to the RPSD will be a financial implementation strategy that will ensure that the recommendations of the planning process can be put into place and the positive lessons learned through demonstration projects can be widely replicated.
The work of the Collaborative will include extensive community education and engagement, citizen leadership development, real world demonstration projects and a comprehensive opportunity mapping study. The Collaborative is funded by a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Baltimore Metropolitan Council serves as staff to the Collaborative.
THE COMMITTEES
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee, a mix of public and non-profit partners, manages the activities of the Collaborative and provides initial approval of plans and activities.
Education and Engagement Committee
The Engagement and Education Committee will work to raise public awareness of our efforts, and ensure the input of our citizens in all of our work.
Sustainability Nexus Committee
The Nexus Committee will oversee the development of the RPSD and our consortium’s Opportunity Mapping project.
Nexus – Workforce Committee
The Workforce Committee will develop the Regional Plan for Workforce Development and manage the Collaborative’s $500,000 Workforce Investment Fund.
Nexus – Housing Committee
The Housing Committee will develop the Regional Housing Plan and collaborate with local government partners on the implementation of the Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice.
Read The Collaborative’s Application to HUD
Opportunity Collaborative Engagement Template
