Five-Year Report Illustrates Progress in the Fight Against Blight
Allegany County Land Bank Poised to Begin Projects This Summer.
Belmont, N.Y. - Today, the New York Land Bank Association
(NYLBA) released New York State Land Banks: A New National Standard,
summarizing the first five years of land bank activity since the state’s
passage of the 2011 Land Bank Act. The report serves as a resource for local
officials, state leaders, public and private funders, and other parties to
learn the strategies and achievements of land banks in combating vacant,
abandoned, and deteriorated properties.
New York State Land Banks: A New National Standard,
published in partnership with the Center for Community Progress, highlights the
impact of New York land banks’ critical stewardship of 1,989 acquired vacant
and abandoned properties through stabilization/renovation, demolition where
necessary, and responsible disposition with clear development goals and
beneficial uses. As of the end of 2016,
NYLBA’s members have leveraged approximately $32 million in initial funding
from the New York Attorney General’s Office to attract over $77 million in
private development investment and return over $28 million in assessed value to
the tax rolls. As the professional
association for New York land banks, NYLBA offers legal and policy guidance,
public advocacy, and a forum for sharing best practices and new ideas. A major
focus of NYLBA going forward will be identifying and pursuing recurring,
reliable sources of funding for the state’s land banks.
Allegany County, in cooperation with the ACCORD Corporation
and other neighborhood partners, formed the Allegany County Land Bank
Corporation (ACLBC) to combat the problem of vacant and abandoned properties in
the community. The ACLBC will work with communities to facilitate the return of
vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties to productive use. The elimination
of the harms and liabilities caused by such properties will impact communities
and make it affordable for reputable consumers and developers to acquire
properties at a reasonable cost.
ACLBC was recently awarded funding from the New York State
Attorney General’s Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative which will be
used to acquire and stabilize vacant properties.
“The Land Bank is off to a strong start as we prepare for
our first projects. We have gained great support from towns and villages. I think
the positive impact the Land Bank has will be immediate and well accepted.”
said Jason Isaman, ACCORD’s Community Development Specialist.
New York State Land Banks: A New National Standard is being
distributed statewide by NYLBA members and was developed with support from the
Center for Community Progress and the Newburgh Community Land Bank. It is
available online at www.nylandbanks.org.
“Communities across New York are finding land banks to be
flexible tools that can be adapted to their local challenges and enable them to
take control of abandoned properties, giving them more options for short-term
intervention and the ability to plan for longer-term neighborhood
revitalization,” said Katelyn Wright, president of the NYLBA. “There are now 20 land banks across New York,
created by local governments ready to proactively address the problems of
abandoned property. The New York Land
Bank Association has evolved over the past five years into a powerful advocate for
land banks and for communities facing blight and abandonment. We’re excited to share this report outlining
our collective achievements over the past five years and the challenges that
lie ahead.”
“The accomplishments of the New York land banking movement
in its first five years are quite remarkable and show what’s possible when
there are dedicated public sector leaders working with community partners on a
shared commitment to transform vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties
into assets for neighbors and neighborhoods,” said Kim Graziani, VP and
Director of National Technical Assistance of the Center for Community
Progress. “New York has set the bar high
in the national field of practice. We
congratulate all those who have made this work happen and look forward to
supporting continued success across the state.”
Land banking began in New York following the passage of the
New York Land Bank Act in 2011, which authorized the creation of land banks as
a tool to address the impacts of property vacancy, abandonment and foreclosure
across the state. In New York, land banks are independent nonprofit
corporations. While the Land Bank Act had previously capped the number of
authorized land banks at 20, the limit was increased to 25 as part of the most
recent state budget negotiation. The land
banks currently in operation are:
According to research by the Center for Community Progress,
there are approximately 170 land banks and land banking programs across the
country as of 2016. New York now has the
third highest number of modern day land banks, behind only Ohio and Michigan.
About the Allegany
County Land Bank
The ALCLBC is one of the newest of 20 total land banks in
New York State. It returns vacant,
abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties to productive use in ways that support
the community. ACLBC is governed by a
board of directors consisting of County officers and community stakeholders.
More information is available at: http://www.alleganyco.com/development/allegany-county-land-bank-corporation/
About the New York
Land Bank Association
NYLBA offers legal and policy guidance to its member land
banks, develops annual legislative priorities, boasts a successful track record
of legislative advocacy, and hosts an annual summit dedicated to sharing best practices
and exploring more effective cross-sector solutions to the challenges posed by
problem properties. NYLBA currently has 14 dues-paying members and is operated
by a volunteer board of directors. More
information is available at www.nylandbanks.org.
