The Baltimore City Continuum of Care (CoC) recently elected Tara Taylor and Edward Blackstone to serve as its Chair and Vice Chair. Taylor and Blackstone share a passion for improving outcomes for people of all ages who experience homelessness in Baltimore City. Together, they aim to provide consistency, transparency, and accountability to the Baltimore City CoC. Their goal is to build the most efficient and effective Continuum of Care for everyone they serve.
Tara Taylor
Tara Taylor is a research associate faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics, and health policy. As the recently elected Chair of the Baltimore City Continuum of Care, Tara advocates for improved health outcomes and effective policy implementation for residents of Baltimore, especially those experiencing homelessness. As the current Chair of the Baltimore City CoC Shelter Transformation Committee, she collaborates with individuals experiencing homelessness, shelter providers, community organizers, and members of the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services to create inclusive policies and systems that serve everyone, ensuring safe and effective support for people experiencing homelessness.
Edward Blackstone
Edward Blackstone is the Youth Collaboration Coordinator at the Homeless Persons Representation Project where he aids in providing legal representation and advocates for youth experiencing homelessness. As the recently elected Vice Chair of the Baltimore City Continuum of Care and a Baltimore native who experienced homelessness at age 15, Edward is deeply committed to serving and empowering all generations of Baltimore, including the youth. With seven years of experience as an educator in Baltimore City Public Schools, he has worked with young people in all grade levels, supporting and providing mentorship to Baltimore youth. Edward is actively involved with the Baltimore City Youth Action Board (YAB), a youth-led advocacy group, which empowers young voices and drives positive change.