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OF FACT. THIS IS A STORY OF HOPE IN A PLACE WITH ITS SHARE OF DESPAIR. IN 2023, BALTIMORE CITY SAW MORE THAN 1000 DRUG AND ALCOHOL RELATED DEATHS. THE MAJORITY OF THOSE WERE CAUSED BY THE SYNTHETIC OPIOID FENTANYL. WHILE EARLY DATA IS SUGGESTING THE OVERDOSE RATE DECLINED LAST YEAR, FRAUD WITHIN THE TREATMENT INDUSTRY AND A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING OFTEN HINDER PEOPLE’S EFFORTS TO GET AND STAY CLEAN. ONE BALTIMORE REALTOR LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY, STUMBLED UPON WHAT COULD BE A SOLUTION. OUR CORRESPONDENT JESSICA GOMEZ HAS THE STORY FROM THE STREETS OF WEST BALTIMORE, A PLACE SO MANY HAVE ABANDONED. THIS IS WHERE ALL THE DRUG DEALERS HANG, BUT IT’S WHERE ANGEL BROWN SEES OPPORTUNITY. WE HAVE OVER 14,000 VACANT PROPERTIES IN BALTIMORE CITY. HELLO. IT WAS MORE THAN A DECADE AGO THAT ANGEL FLIPPED HER FIRST PROPERTY. SINCE THEN, THE REALTOR AND CONTRACTOR HELPING TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO DOZENS OF BALTIMORE’S VACANT HOUSES. I LOVED SHOWING HOUSES. I LOVED SEEING SMILES ON PEOPLE’S FACES WHEN THEY GOT APPROVED FOR LOANS. THIS IS GOING TO BE ALL NEW WIRING, NEW PLUMBING. BUT SHE QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THE CENTURY OLD PLUMBING HERE ISN’T THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. IT WAS SCARY ACTUALLY. WALKING INTO A LOT OF THE VACANT HOMES BECAUSE MOST OF THEM HAD SQUATTERS, HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO HAD NOWHERE TO GO. MOST OF THE PEOPLE, OF COURSE, WERE SUBSTANCE ABUSERS. AND THEN WE PROBABLY HAVE TO DO THE EXTERIOR STAIRS AS WELL. SO ANGEL AND HER HUSBAND, DAMON, BOTH OF WHOM GREW UP WITH PARENTS WHO STRUGGLED WITH ADDICTION, CAME UP WITH A PLAN. WE SAY, HEY, WE HAVE THESE RESOURCES, WE HAVE THESE PROPERTIES. I’M A REGISTERED NURSE. I KNOW HOW TO TREAT THESE PEOPLE. LET’S GET TOGETHER. LET’S START OUR OWN PROGRAM. IT WOULD JUST BE ONE OF THEM DAYS WHERE IT’S JUST NOT MY DAY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, REPORTER. IN 2016, THEY OPENED NEW WAVE HEALTH SERVICES, A SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CENTER. SO CLICK ON THAT LINK. THEY’RE ADDING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, FINANCIAL AND GED CLASSES. WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP. WE WERE OVERWHELMED. YOU WANT TO DO MIDNIGHT SHIFT TONIGHT? MIDNIGHT SHIFT OKAY. OVERWHELMED NOT ONLY BY THE NEED FOR TREATMENT, BUT ALSO FOR LONG TERM HOUSING. THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. MOST WILL GO TO A SHELTER, WHICH, AFTER YOU’VE DONE ALL THAT TREATMENT AND NOW YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO A SHELTER OR LIVE UNDER THE BRIDGE. ALL THAT WE DID WENT OUT THE WINDOW. HOUSING IS FIRST FOR THEM AND SAY AMEN. AMEN. SO FAR, NUWAVE OPENING UP MORE THAN 30 OF THOSE ONCE VACANT HOMES FOR PARTICIPANTS DURING AND AFTER TREATMENT. TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU GOT TO REMEMBER SOME PART OF THE PAST, RIGHT? LAMAR MCROY IS 18 MONTHS CLEAN. HE WORKS FOR NUWAVE AS A HOUSING COORDINATOR. WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, I LOOK AT LIKE MY MY PAST. THAT’S GOOD. YOU WANT TO STIR THE BROCCOLI? HE AND HIS FIANCE, AMANDA EYLER FINALLY HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE AS THEY RECOVER FROM THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SCARS CAUSED BY YEARS OF ADDICTION AND HOMELESSNESS. SHE’S NOT LOOKING AT US AS JUST PEOPLE. THAT’S HERE FOR A SHORT STAY AND THEY GOT TO GO. I THINK THAT EVERYBODY’S READY. NUWAVE CLINICAL DIRECTOR DOCTOR JUDY SHEPHARD CAME HERE FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF PROGRESS AT OTHER TREATMENT FACILITIES. THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TEMPORARILY HALTING NEW LICENSES FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD AND WASTE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY. WE NEED A CHANGE. WE NEED A REVOLUTION. AND THEN INTAKE HEALTH SCIENTIST AND NOW CITY COUNCILWOMAN FELICIA PORTER ALSO WANTS CHANGE. SHE’S BACKING ANGEL AND DAMON’S EFFORTS TO BRING A NEW MEDICAL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT CENTER TO HER SOUTH BALTIMORE DISTRICT. I’VE SEEN IT WORK. I’VE ACTUALLY BEEN TO A FEW OF HER OTHER CLINICS. I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT THE HARM REDUCTION PROCESS, MAKING SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ARE CONNECTED TO CARE, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NUWAVE. I’M GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU. SOMETIMES YOU JUST WANT TO JUST REACH DOWN AND HUG THEM REALLY TIGHT, AND THAT’S JUST NOT ENOUGH. WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY? IT WASN’T ENOUGH FOR 24 YEAR OLD CAM FIRST GIVEN DRUGS AT THE AGE OF FOUR. I’VE BEEN WORKING ON MY ADDICTION, BUT I HAVEN’T WORKED ON THE MENTAL PART AND JUST RELAPSING. AFTER A YEAR OF SOBRIETY. IT’S UPSETTING BECAUSE HE’S YOUNG. HE DOESN’T KNOW THAT HE’S WORTH IT. THE NEXT DAY HE WAS BACK ON THE STREETS. WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM? WHERE I DIDN’T BELONG. CAM GETS A GRIP, BUT WITHIN A WEEK HE WOULD BARELY SURVIVE YET ANOTHER OVERDOSE. I HURT FOR THEM. I FELT LIKE SOME OF THEM ARE SO MISUNDERSTOOD. THEY’RE STIGMATIZED. AND I JUST WANT THEM TO GET WELL. NEW WAVE MISSION STATEMENT TO SERVE. CHECK THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN BATTERED, BETRAYED, BELITTLE. DESPITE THE SETBACKS, ANGEL EMBRACING HER NEW MISSION FROM FLIPPING HOMES. SHE SAYS, TO FLIPPING PEOPLE, THEY COME IN ONE WAY AND I WANT TO SEE WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY LEAVE, AND THEY ALWAYS LOOK DIFFERENT. AND WHEN YOU START TO SEE A HOUSE OR A PERSON LOOKING DIFFERENT, IT WARMS MY HEART. 61 DAYS. YEAH, THAT’S THE PLAN. THANK YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, GUYS IN BALTIMORE FOR MATTER OF FACT. CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IT. I’M JESSICA GOMEZ.