A recent report collects data from the experience of cities using land banks as a method for addressing vacant and blighted properties.
The Center for Community Progress released a report this week titled Take it to the Bank: How Land Banks Are Strengthening America’s Neighborhoods. According to the Community Progress blog, the report is "based on research of 67 land banks conducted from 2013 to 2014, finds that land banks’ ability to adapt to local conditions and needs is helping communities, large and small, address the negative impacts of problem properties."
"The report further finds that local factors, such as the scale of vacancy and abandonment, influence nearly all aspects of a land bank’s operations."
The report also includes close examination of seven land banks in four states—New York, Michigan, Georgia, and Ohio. The post also notes that of the 120 land banks currently operating in the United States, about half were created since 2008.
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