Who We Are
The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority was created in 2007 to address vacancy and blight, and to assist with the increasing numbers of tax foreclosures. Initially, the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority acted as a repository for properties that went unsold at the tax-foreclosure auctions and also demolished a handful of blighted structures. As part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP2), the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority took on a larger role in the community as staff managed the demolition of more than 200 blighted residential structures, oversaw the acquisition of properties, and supported the City of Battle Creek in its effort to renovate 35 single-family homes and construct five new homes.
The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority is building on its NSP2 success by continuing to foster neighborhood stabilization and encourage redevelopment through the acquisition, management, and redevelopment of tax reverted, abandoned, and donated properties. The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority’s on-going goal is to return properties back into productive use. Land Bank staff work with public, private and non-profit agencies to carry out and fund projects that reduce blight, promote safety, and encourage appropriate reuse of properties.
What is a Land Bank?
In 2003, the State of Michigan passed the Land Bank Fast Track Act, which authorized the creation of land banks as a tool to help strengthen and revitalize communities. Land banks are public authorities tasked with returning tax reverted, donated, abandoned, or unclaimed properties back to the tax roll more rapidly than otherwise possible. Through their work, Land Banks help alleviate the burden of vacant and abandoned properties on local municipalities and neighborhoods. There are more than 40 land banks operating in Michigan.