New York State Land Banks

Author(s): New York Land Bank Association, Center for Community Progress

The land bank movement in New York traces back to Albany’s passage of the 2011 Land Bank Act. Five years later, New York boasts one of the most active, sophisticated networks of land banks in the country. Currently, 20 land banks operate across the state, from Buffalo to Long Island. New York land banks have guided more than $130 million in private and public investments into the transformation of hundreds of vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties to productive use in support of community priorities.

By all measures, the land bank movement in New York has exceeded even the most ambitious expectations. This report offers a history of the land bank movement in New York, including an assessment of the work completed to date, the factors key to success, and what to expect of this maturing movement in the years to come.

This report offers a history of the land bank movement in New York, including an assessment of the work completed to date, the factors key to success, and what to expect of this maturing movement in the years to come.