Governor Moore Introduces New Initiative to Close Maryland’s Racial Wealth Gap by Promoting Fair Community Investment and Enhancing Cannabis Pardon Opportunities

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development today announced new "Just Community" designations. This initiative prioritizes up to $400 million in state investments for communities historically impacted by exclusionary policies. This announcement was made to 200 people at Bethel AME Church in Cambridge.

Additionally, the Governor announced nearly 7,000 further pardons for certain cannabis convictions, building on the historic clemency order signed last year.

Governor Moore stated, "We know the racial wealth gap affects all of us. It hurts our economy; it restrains job growth and it limits our potential as a state. If you want a growing economy, you have to make sure it is an inclusive one. We cannot afford to simply ‘meet’ about the situation before us and delay progress—we need action. Together, we are going to continue the work of repair with action that delivers results.”

In 2024, Governor Moore signed Just Community legislation to direct state investment toward communities that have endured decades of discriminatory policies such as redlining, urban renewal projects, high incarceration rates, and disproportionate exposure to environmental and health hazards. This legislation promotes equal opportunity by systematically uplifting historically underserved communities.

Over the past year, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development developed recommendations to designate 419 of Maryland’s 1,463 census tracts as Just Communities. These tracts are located across 17 counties and the City of Baltimore. This five-year designation, effective July 1, will grant priority consideration for competitive state funding in FY 2026.

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day commented, "The first-of-its-kind designation of Maryland’s Just Communities is a critical step in lifting the barriers that create separate and unequal neighborhoods all across our state. Fostering fairer development and addressing inequity not only creates healthier, more resilient communities, but generates lasting social and economic well-being for all.”

The Governor also announced pardons for an additional 6,938 convictions for simple cannabis possession. This expands on the executive clemency order that previously pardoned over 175,000 convictions, which was the largest pardon for misdemeanor cannabis possession charges for any state in the country. These additional pardons resulted from ongoing collaboration with the Maryland Judiciary to review cases since the initial order was signed last June. As mandated by the governor’s Expungement Reform Act, all pardoned cannabis possession offenses will be removed from public view by January 31, 2026. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services will also indicate pardoned convictions on criminal background checks.

Throughout the month, the Moore-Miller Administration has launched numerous equity-driven initiatives, including the Community Investment Venture Fund to help entrepreneurs of color secure access to capital, the first round of funding awards to address inequitable property appraisal values through the UPLIFT initiative, and $4 million in funding to strengthen high-skill workforce development through the Roads to Careers program.

These new initiatives build on the administration’s previous actions, which include a $1.3 billion investment in Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities; assisting 1,500 Black Marylanders in pursuing homeownership by increasing mortgages offered to first-time homebuyers; supporting Maryland’s Black-owned businesses through more than $816 million in state procurement awards; and launching the ENOUGH initiative, a pioneering state-level effort to end concentrated poverty.

Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture Vice Chair Jaelon Moaney remarked, “Today, Gov. Moore and Sec. Day embodied how Maryland is setting a national standard for disrupting systemic inequities and ushering inclusive paths towards healing in and with communities from all zip codes. I’m proud to call Cambridge home, and the gravity of this Juneteenth National Independence Day is not lost on me.”

Cambridge Mayor Lajan Cephas added, “Governor Wes Moore is committed to leaving no one behind. Over the past few years we have learned that this is more than a buzz phrase—this is an action. Governor Moore’s ENOUGH Act puts words into action and I am confident it will close the racial wealth gap in Cambridge and Dorchester County.”

Veronica Taylor, Moving Dorchester Forward ENOUGH Coordinator, stated, “On this Juneteenth, we honor the legacy of freedom rooted in neighborhoods like Pine Street and Greenwood Avenue—where strength, resilience, and pride have always lived. Through the ENOUGH Initiative, we are writing a new chapter—one where healing begins, voices rise, and communities thrive. Our freedom story is still being written, and I am thankful for Governor Moore's partnership as we write the next chapter in Maryland.”

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