For decades, communities across the nation have struggled with the daunting problem of abandoned houses and vacant lands. Vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties are found in virtually every part of our county, but in many of our smaller towns and large urban areas they are not simply isolated occurrences – they begin to define the community itself. Abandoned property is a source of blight, crime, and disease, which in turn can result in the problem of decreasing local tax values. In the past, there was no coherent governmental approach to urban land reform and solutions to resolving these problems.

Since the passage of PA 123 of 1999, the State of Michigan and County governments have greater authority in gaining control of vacant abandoned land. Adoption of this legislation authorizes a foreclosing county to create a Land Bank, which is a key step in any urban land reform initiative. Land Banks allow local governments to overcome the legal structures that restrain rather than foster conversion of public land and public liens on private land into performing assets. The Land Bank is a public authority created to hold, manage, and develop tax foreclosed properties.

A land bank improves communities and increases the taxable value of property throughout the county by removing dilapidated structures and redeveloping abandoned properties. This constructive community development tool helps stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods, and avoid the potential neglect or misuse that comes from selling land at auction.

The vision of the Jackson County Land Bank Authority is to return Land Bank owned properties to the tax roll through programs that preserve, sustain, stabilize and reinvest in built communities. Board members would be responsible for identifying development opportunities on Land Bank owned properties, creating plans, devising strategies for accomplishing the goals and seeing the development through to completion.

The Jackson County Land Bank Authority’s mission is to utilize the Land Bank to revitalize our entire county by taking a proactive approach to community development, curb housing blight, encourage home ownership, and increase property values.

For more information about land banks in Michigan, please visit the State of Michigan website: http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/0,1607,7-154-34176---,00.html