A Look Inside the Houston Land Bank

Houston Land Bank, a nonprofit that develops affordable housing, has been focusing on building accessible homes to ensure that people with disabilities can find housing.

As Roshan Abraham explains in an article for Next City, less than 5 percent of American housing stock is accessible, while 26 percent of Americans have a disability. “According to Lindsey Williams, director of community development at the land bank, building more than what’s required by the city’s building code — which does not mandate all units to be Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA accessible – costs a little bit more for developers, ‘but it is something that we feel is important and the bare minimum in these cases, especially with the program of below market rate land.’”

Like other land banks, Houston Land Bank acquires vacant and tax-delinquent lots to build sorely needed affordable housing. Abraham notes that “The gap between the home price that residents can afford on the median income and actual housing prices increased by 275% between 2018 and 2023.” The land bank sells lots at roughly 50 to 90 percent of market value to developers who must meet affordability and other requirements. “Because the builder is getting a deal, the land bank can also mandate accessibility as a requirement and pass off the savings and the amenities to the home buyer.”