House & Building Demolition
The Mahoning County Land Bank was awarded several demolition grants to acquire, demolish and improve vacant lots that included hundreds of tax delinquent, abandoned, blighted residential homes.
The Land Bank’s demolition program has helped increase property values in neighborhoods, prevent future housing foreclosures and has drawn investors to renovate other nearby homes.
From 2014 to 2019, the Land Bank received demolition grants from the Neighborhood Initiative Program funded by the Ohio Housing Financing Agency and Moving Ohio Forward. More than $14 million was awarded to fund its demolition program.
The Land Bank awarded 11 local governments various amounts based on the percentage of vacant property in each community. Those communities completed hundreds of demolitions with the help of the Land Bank.
Check out our Impact Report that outlines the demolition and greening work we did in the city of Campbell, where we leveraged $1.2 million over three years to complete targeted improvements.
If you own a troubled house or building located in Mahoning County and want to donate the property to the Land Bank, fill out a donation application found here.
Once properties become vacant, treating them as assets rather than liabilities improves a community’s ability to stabilize its housing market and prevent the spread of blight and decay into neighboring areas. One way to transform these properties is through greening and adaptive reuse.
Greening & Adaptive Reuse
As an effort to make land productive again, the Land Bank completes greening and landscaping following demolition.
As a result, it has established several flexible parks, which are green spaces that communities can use for a variety of activities and events, including pop-up parks, farmer’s markets, parties, activities for kids, pop-up libraries and more. The Land Bank works with neighborhood groups to identify what the community needs and employs local landscaping companies to establish the plans. It has planted community gardens, little free libraries, a bus shelter for Western Reserve Transit Authority, a park for a Youngstown city school and more.
The Land Bank partners with civic, religious and nonprofit organizations to assemble and create new green spaces.
Side Lot Program
Residents of owner-occupied homes can request vacant lots that share a 75 percent or more common boundary with their own property.
Read more about our side lot program here.
Buy to Renovate Program
The Land Bank’s Deed-in-Escrow Program (Do-it-Yourself Renovation Program) allows an owner-occupant or investor to buy a house already owned by the Land Bank for a modest purchase price to renovate.
The Land Bank also has houses for sale that have been recently renovated and are move-in-ready.
Learn more about our properties.
Property Donation Program
Mahoning County Land Bank accepts the donation of unwanted houses and vacant land under certain circumstances.
Read more about how to donate property.