LAND BANK LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR
On April 7, 2010, Governor Strickland signed House Bill 313. This important bill lowers the population threshold to allow more counties in Ohio, including Franklin County, to organize county land banks. A land bank is a public authority created to hold, manage and develop tax-foreclosed property. Land banks act as a legal mechanism to transform vacant, abandoned and tax-foreclosed property into productive use. Properties that are acquired by county land banks are maintained until they are redeveloped and returned to the market. Properties that are too dilapidated to salvage are demolished, and the land is retained for future development.
Previously, only Cuyahoga County was authorized to operate a land bank. House Bill 313 allows 41 additional counties with populations of more than 60,000 people the opportunity to organize and operate nonprofit land banks. House Bill 313 allows counties to quickly and efficiently purchase abandoned and blighted property to ensure the property does not sit vacant for extended periods of time.
UWCO supports policies that help revitalize vacant and abandoned housing and property. We thank the countless advocates who contacted elected officials about House Bill 313. We also applaud Greater Ohio Policy Center for their leadership in passing House Bill 313. For more information about Greater Ohio, visit their website at www.greaterohio.org.
