Strengthening Communities through Partnership to Demolish and Remove Blight

The Kalamazoo County Land Bank is partnering with the Kalamazoo County Treasurer and local municipalities to demolish blighted structures that have been foreclosed on by the county treasurer for delinquent property taxes and are endangering neighborhoods and residents. Once the structure is demolished, neighbors and other residents can take advantage of a number of land bank programs to transform the vacant lot into a vibrant asset. The Kalamazoo County Land Bank does side lot sales and runs an adopt-a-lot program. Through each program, neighboring homeowners have been able to expand their yards and residents have been able to create community gardens. The local municipalities are happy to partner with the county treasurer and the land bank to remove blight. As one report notes, “The partnership strengthens communities.” Watch this video for more details.