New report documents land banks’ impact on American cities

An estimated 120 land banks exist in the United States, and at least half of them were created between 2008 and today. Across the country, communities are using land banks to address problem properties the private market has discarded and convert these neighborhood liabilities into assets that advance community-based goals.

In light of that rapid growth, the Center for Community Progress has released a report, Take it to the Bank: How Land Banks Are Strengthening America’s Neighborhoods, which examines the state of land banking in the U.S. and takes a look at some of the most innovative — and replicable — programs operating in cities and metropolitan areas. The 120-page report also features:

• Insights into what makes a land bank successful.
• A national scan of 67 land banks in the United States, exploring some of the common features they share.
• In-depth portraits of seven land banks serving a diverse group of communities, including the Genesee County Land Bank, headquartered in Flint, Michigan, hometown of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
• Several appendices that should be of interest to cities considering the establishment of a land bank, including organizational policies and procedures, property and program applications, and budgets.

“It is our hope that this report does justice to the many who, with incredible determination, creativity, and strength of spirit, are using land banks and other tools to restore vitality to once-blighted blocks,” said Tamar Shapiro, president and CEO of the Center for Community Progress in Washington, D.C.

The adaptability of land banks to meet a variety of critical community needs has generated a tremendous level of interest, but Community Progress’ experience reveals common misunderstandings about the ease of creating a land bank and the role that a land bank serves. The new report is designed to help “shorten the learning curve” for those interested in establishing such an entity.

“The report showcases what’s happening, and what works,” said Shapiro.

Established in 2010 by U.S. Rep. Daniel Kildee, then treasurer for Genesee County, Michigan, the Center for Community Progress now serves as a national resource for federal, state, and local officials and nonprofits on policy, information, technical assistance, training, and capacity to support strategies around vacant, abandoned, and underutilized properties. Major support for the center comes from the Ford and Mott foundations. Since 2009, the Mott Foundation has granted more than $7 million to help establish the center and support its core operations as well as its educational and outreach activities.