Genesee News

Legislation Would Establish National Land Bank Network to Strengthen Neighborhoods, Reduce Crime, Clean Up Blighted Properties

WASHINGTON—Congressmen Dan Kildee (MI-08) and Drew Ferguson (GA-03) today announced bipartisan legislation to help strengthen neighborhoods, reduce crime and clean up vacant properties by expanding resources for land banks in communities across America.

Land banks are powerful tools to address vacant, blighted and abandoned properties and bring greater economic investment to communities. The National Land Bank Network Act would create a national network to provide resources, technical assistance and grants to help land banks nationwide implement best practices. This network would also help communities create their own land banks.

“Land banks help communities clean up blighted properties, reduce crime and increase property values. Since I founded Michigan’s first land bank in Genesee County, hundreds of communities across the United States have seen how land banks can restore abandoned properties to productive uses,” said Congressman Kildee. “I am pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Ferguson to help strengthen more neighborhoods in Michigan and across the country.”

The 2008 Great Recession and the subsequent foreclosure crisis left many small towns and industrial cities—communities like Flint, Saginaw and Detroit—with high rates of vacant and abandoned properties. Vacant and abandoned properties destabilize neighborhoods by driving down surrounding property values, creating fire and safety hazards, and draining local tax dollars. Distressed properties are a difficult problem for local communities to resolve. Often, the cost of repairs to maintain these properties and the potential unpaid taxes on such properties exceed the actual property value, discouraging potential buyers.

In response, land banks were developed to help return vacant and tax-delinquent properties to productive uses, like economic development and affordable housing. A federal network for land banks can help expand their reach and capacity to address these challenges and improve neighborhoods across America. 

“As a former mayor in rural Georgia, I saw first-hand how land banks provided critical opportunities to bring economic growth and future development to local communities that otherwise would not happen,” said Congressman Ferguson. “Land banks can be used to revitalize vacant and abandoned properties – and have the unique ability to create value in properties that the private market would normally avoid. I’m proud to work alongside Congressman Kildee to introduce this legislation.” 

“The Michigan Association of Land Banks supports the creation of the National Land Bank Network and thanks Congressman Kildee for reintroducing this important legislation. The support that this network could provide to land banks across Michigan would be invaluable as our member land banks address blight and vacancy across the State. Land banks operating in both urban and rural communities in Michigan would benefit from these additional resources and our economic and community development efforts would be greatly enhanced,” said Tim Burgess, President of the Michigan Association of Land Banks.

“Since their inception, land banks have played a critical and innovative role in moving properties to productive reuse and utilizing public assets to maximize development and redevelopment opportunities with community benefit. Congressman Kildee's bill will serve to accelerate this work, to the benefit of citizens, communities, states, and the nation,” said Emily Doerr, Executive Director of the Michigan State Land Bank Authority.

“This key legislation will strengthen the growing land bank field and help land bank leaders accelerate revitalization in their communities. We are enthusiastic about this bipartisan effort to make sure that rural, suburban, and urban communities challenged by an unfair share of problem properties have the tools they need to turn vacant spaces into vibrant places,” said Courtney Knox, Interim President and CEO of the Center for Community Progress.

“We appreciate Congressman Kildee and Congressman Ferguson's continued leadership in reintroducing the National Land Bank Network Act. Land banks ensure that vacant and abandoned buildings and lots are ultimately used to benefit their communities, often with the support of mission focused partners, including many among our own 250 member network of community land trusts and other nonprofit affordable housing providers,” said Tony Pickett, CEO of Grounded Solutions Network.

The legislation has been endorsed by Habitat for Humanity International, Center for Community Progress, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Smart Growth America, National Community Stabilization Trust, Grounded Solutions Network, the Georgia Association of Land Bank Authorities, the Michigan Land Bank Association, the State of Michigan Land Bank Authority, the New York Land Bank Association, the Ohio Land Bank Association and National Brownfields Coalition.

Congressman Kildee has an extensive background in housing policy and land use issues. In 2002, as Genesee County Treasurer, he founded the Genesee County Land Bank—Michigan’s first land bank—and served as its chairman from 2002 until 2009. Kildee’s successful land bank model has helped to inspire over 250 other communities to start similar models to help create opportunity and foster development. In July 2022, Kildee highlighted how a national land bank network could help communities across America at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing. As a part of his 2023 Community Project Funding initiative, Kildee secured millions in funding for Genesee County Land Bank Authority and Saginaw County Land Bank Authority.

Original source can be found here.