Land Bank Impact Study + Projects

MALB Releases Impact Study – Read Key Findings here!

Michigan is a pioneer in the land bank movement and was the first to enact legislation establishing land banks.  Michigan has been a model for more than a decade.
Today, we’re releasing a study that shows the reach of our 40 land banks and the economic impact they have in their communities.  Read the full impact study by DynamoMetrics here.

Impact Study Key Findings:

  • Removing blight improves public safety, beautifies the community and increases neighborhood pride.
  • The study found land banks help increase home values by as much as 6 percent and reduce foreclosures by removing or rehabbing blighted properties.
  • The study also highlights the positive economic impact land banks have on the communities they call home, and demonstrates how they help create jobs through projects big and small.
  • Land Banks are fueling economic development and growth throughout Michigan by returning properties to the tax rolls and productive use.
  • This report also creates a roadmap for our association and our members to remain leaders in land banking for decades to come.

 

After all, Michigan is not just the Great Lakes State.  It’s the Great Land Bank State.

 

The Michigan Land Bank Association is proud to share the following Project Spotlights from land banks across the state:

 

  • Impact in Kent County

    GRAND RAPIDS – Findings from an internal investigation by the Kent County Land Bank authority were released this week, and the study’s conclusions were welcome news to county officials. “I’m just very pleased with the results of this, I have always felt good about the work...

  • Rehabbed and Ready in Detroit

    DETROIT—For the past year, Clement Wright has driven into the Marygrove neighborhood before and after his night shifts at Chrysler to reclaim a small piece of the city where he has spent his whole life. While his friends texted him sunny vacation pictures from the...

  • Small homes in Kalamazoo

    KALAMAZOO, MI — A small-home, mixed-income neighborhood development is planned for Kalamazoo’s Eastside neighborhood. The Kalamazoo County Land Bank is planning to raise $2.5 million for eight 600-1,000-square-foot, 1-2 bedroom homes on Foresman Avenue off East Michigan Avenue. After hosting multiple public open houses, draft...

  • Calhoun Land Bank & Habitat for Humanity

    BATTLE CREEK — The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority and Battle Creek Area Habitat for Humanity are partnering to rehabilitate a vacant house at 247 N. McKinley Ave. in Battle Creek. “The Calhoun County Land Bank is excited to work with Habitat for Humanity to...

  • Calhoun County Students Learn by Building a House

    CALHOUN COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A group of Calhoun County teens are making a lasting impact on a Battle Creek neighborhood, one plank of wood at a time. The teens are building a house from the ground up to learn trade skills that could...

  • Inside Out in Kalamazoo

    On March 2, 2011, JR won the TED prize at the TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and called for the creation of a global participatory art project. Inspired by JR’s large‐format street “pastings”, INSIDE OUT gives everyone the opportunity to share their portrait and...

  • Better Together: Vacant lots and pollinators in Saginaw County

    Better Together: Vacant lots and pollinators in Saginaw County   The Saginaw County Land Bank has teemed up with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy to create “pollinator plantations” on 10 vacant lots owned by the Land Bank. The project kicked off in June, and will...

  • Gladwin County Community Spirit Meets Community Need

    Gladwin County Community Spirit Meets Community Need Call it the marriage of opportunity and elbow grease. This is what happens when community needs meet community spirit. The Clare-Gladwin Career & Technical Education Construction Trades students needed a project to improve their skills. The Gladwin County...

  • ‘Fare Games’ a big win for Kalamazoo neighborhood

    ‘Fare Games’ a big win for Kalamazoo neighborhood Over the course of the past year, the Kalamazoo County Land Bank led an effort to revitalize a historic, but blighted building in the Edison neighborhood, just southeast of downtown Kalamazoo. This competition, called Fare Games, identified...

  • Commercial Corridor Revitalization in Kalamazoo

    Commercial Corridor Revitalization in Kalamazoo The Kalamazoo County Land Bank has worked over the past 3 years to revitalize the once-vibrant commercial corridor in Washington Square, in the Edison neighborhood of Kalamazoo. Their latest project in Washington Square has been the Fare Games competition. For...