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Protesters demand more affordable housing for Port Covington, a project to be funded with a $535 million tax break

Story Transcript

TAYA GRAHAM, TRNN: This is Taya Graham reporting for the Real News Network here in Baltimore City, Maryland. I’m here at Port Covington, where developers are asking for a historic tax break. But this evening, community concerns intruded. If Baltimore is indeed two cities, one rich and one poor, then nowhere was this divide more evident than at City Garage in Port Covington Tuesday Night. Inside, revelers enjoyed wine and cheese prior to a presentation from Sagamore Develop president Marc Weller on the details surrounding his proposed vision for rebuilding the area. Outside, protesters bristled at the notion the that plan comes with request for a $535 million tax subsidy known as a TIF, or tax increment finance deal. KEN SANDERS: For all the money that’s being poured into Baltimore City, it’s just not coming out to us. It’s not enough coming out to us. And we need more. We need more home ownership. GRAHAM: Particularly since the project was deemed exempt from the city’s Inclusionary housing laws, which is why people assembled in the heat, far removed from the festivities, demanded Sagamore increase the number of affordable units in the project, and lower the income requirements to qualify. CHARLIE CARTER: We’re out here today supporting our partners at HON, Housing Our Neighbors, to call on Sagamore development, our city leaders, to make sure that there is inclusionary, affordable housing in the Port Covington development. Right now there is a goal for them to try to reach ten percent. That is woefully inadequate when you’re looking at the amount of taxpayer subsidy that they are looking for for this project. GRAHAM: But the conflict did not remain outside forever. Just as Weller began his speech, protesters disrupted the event. They made their demands clear as a stunned audience sat silent. Eventually activists were escorted from the room without incident, and the proceedings continued. SPEAKER: It’s really tough, so you got to think about that a lot. Kevin went to the board of directors, and what he said to the board of directors, he said hey, I want to build a big campus and I want to keep it here in Baltimore. And they said, you know, Kevin–. GRAHAM: We asked Sagamore development for comment, but we have yet to hear back. For now, protesters say they are both saddened and disturbed that a city asking taxpayers to fund the largest tax break in history has done little to help the residents who will ultimately pay for it. SPEAKER: Working-class people and low-income people deserve, if they’re footing the bill for this, to live in the posh city-within-a-city that Sagamore wants to build. GRAHAM: This is Taya Graham and Stephen Janis reporting for the Real News Network in Baltimore City, Maryland.

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Senior Investigative Reporter & Capitol Hill Correspondent

Taya Graham is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and Capitol Hill Correspondent whose work bridges rigorous reporting with deep community impact. As the host of The Police Accountability Report at The Real News Network, she has become a trusted voice for transparency in policing and governance, using a mix of field reporting, data analysis, and citizen storytelling to expose systemic injustices. The show has garnered more than 50 million views across platforms, drawing a national audience to issues of accountability and reform.

Her work spans platforms and audiences, from producing Truth and Reconciliation, the acclaimed WYPR podcast exploring race and justice, to co-directing the award-winning documentaries The Friendliest Town and Tax Broke. Her five-year investigation into Baltimore’s tax incentive system (TIFs and PILOTs) revealed how corporate subsidies perpetuate inequality, sparking legislative action and community advocacy.

In addition to her reporting, Taya played a key role in shaping The Real News Network’s internal policies and labor framework, including helping draft the language around the organization’s AI policy in its collective bargaining agreement. Her work ensured that innovation and worker protections coexist, setting a model for how newsrooms can adopt technology responsibly.

Taya’s career began at The Afro-American Newspaper and Historic Black University Morgan State Radio, where she honed her craft in public service storytelling. She continues to lead with the belief that journalism should not only inform but empower—meeting new audiences where they are and inspiring them to engage in the democratic process.

Senior Investigative Reporter & Capitol Hill Correspondent
Stephen Janis is an award-winning investigative journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker whose work has shaped accountability journalism in Baltimore and beyond. As a Capitol Hill Correspondent and senior reporter at The Real News Network, he continues to uncover the systems behind inequality, corruption, and power while turning complex investigations into stories that inspire reform and public engagement.

His first feature documentary, The Friendliest Town, was distributed by Gravitas Ventures and received an Award of Distinction from The Impact Doc Film Festival and a Humanitarian Award from The Indie Film Fest. He co-created and co-hosts The Police Accountability Report, which has reached more than fifty million viewers on YouTube and helped spark national conversations on policing and transparency. His work has also appeared on Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix), Dead of Night (Investigation Discovery), Relentless (NBC), and Sins of the City (TV One).

Stephen has co-authored several books on policing, corruption, and the roots of violence, including Why Do We Kill: The Pathology of Murder in Baltimore and You Can’t Stop Murder: Truths About Policing in Baltimore and Beyond. He also co-hosts the true crime podcast Land of the Unsolved, which investigates cold cases through a lens of justice and accountability.

Before joining The Real News Network, Stephen worked as an investigative producer for WBFF Fox 45, where his reporting earned three Capital Emmys. Known for embracing technology as a tool for social awareness, he uses data analysis, digital production, and emerging storytelling platforms to connect investigative journalism with younger audiences while maintaining its integrity and depth.

Stephen’s work is grounded in clarity, empathy, and a belief that journalism should not only expose the truth but empower people to act on it.