Land Bank Executive Director Discusses Future of Land Banks at State Conference

Debora Flora, the Land Bank’s executive director, presented new approaches to greening strategies at the recent Ohio Land Bank Conference.

A panel titled, “Greening in a Post-NIP World,” covered a topic of interest as a key funding source for many land banks, the Neighborhood Initiative Program, comes to an end. Initiated by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, the program supported housing demolitions.

“Now, county land banks must reconsider how to revitalize land,” said Flora. “And greening strategies provide an affordable and effective way for land banks to continue to make a community-wide impact.”

Flora presented with Scott Schell, administrator of Erie County Land Bank and Robert Ritchey, executive director of Columbiana County Land Bank. They discussed the many benefits of greening strategies and raised common issues land banks have experienced with greening practices, as well as ways to overcome these obstacles, including lack of time, funding, expertise and partnerships.

The two-day conference, organized for the benefit of the 57 county land banks in Ohio, took place at the Westin Hotel in Cincinnati.

Board members of the Ohio Land Bank Association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, which supports the work of county land banks across Ohio, also met during the conference to discuss upcoming obstacles and opportunities. Flora serves as a board member representing medium-sized county land banks with populations of 150,000 to 300,000. The association is made up of representatives from 57 counties ranging in population from less than 150,000 to greater than 750,000.

For more information about the association visit http://ohiolandbanks.org/ or to learn more about the Mahoning County Land Bank, visit https://mahoninglandbank.com.