2024 Year in Review: National Land Bank Network

It’s been an exciting year for the land banking field! In 2024, the National Land Bank Network worked with land banks across the country tackling property vacancy, abandonment, and deterioration in their communities.

Some highlights from the past year include:

Rural Land Bank Learning Exchange

The Rural Land Bank Learning Exchange brought together 14 land bank leaders from rural communities in Georgia, Michigan, New York, and West Virginia to learn about the challenges and opportunities specific to addressing vacancy in rural areas. In July, participants attended a two-day, in-person learning exchange in Charleston, West Virginia. The convening included a full day of sessions on increasing affordable housing, securing funding opportunities. Attendees also went on a mobile workshop led by Charleston Land Bank and Nitro Land Bank.

NLBN also brought the participants together in-person at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference and virtually throughout the year to share their work and consult with national experts. Following the program, the land bank leaders reported accomplishments including increased staff, new strategic plans, expanded programming, and new revenue.

Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program

Many land bank leaders navigate the complexities of tackling vacancy in their communities with little support. The Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program addresses this resource gap, building the leadership skills and connections between land bank leaders at different points in their careers. We paired 14 experienced land bank leaders and emerging professionals eager to grow in their roles

From May to October 2024, mentees attended monthly one-on-one sessions with their mentors and received tailored support and direction from Community Progress. By fostering relationships rooted in professionalism and respect, NLBN empowered mentees while providing mentors with the opportunity to shape the future the future of the land banking field.

Road Ahead for Land Banks: Opportunities for Growth and Equity

There are over 300 land banks and land banking programs operating across the United States. The field has come a long way since the first land banks formed in the early 1970s. In 2023, Community Progress conducted the biennial State of Land Banking Survey to understand where the land bank field is now and where it is headed.

Our new publication, The Road Ahead for Land Banks: Opportunities for Growth and Greater Equity, highlights key survey findings alongside case studies and context from our extensive experience with land banks across the country. Land banks’ flexibility to respond to local challenges and opportunities sets them apart from other entities. And The Road Ahead provides dozens of ideas and examples of their capacity for transformational change.

Quarterly Online Trainings

This year, NLBN launched our quarterly online trainings. Unlike traditional webinars, these provide a hands-on experience in a virtual “classroom” setting. Participants interact with presenters in real-time, ask questions to unpack “in the weeds” topics, and network with fellow participants. Our inaugural sessions focused on:

• Commercial projects
• Strategic board governance
• Lessons for recently established land banks
• Using data to measure land bank impact

Leaders in Land Banking

As always, we kept up with land bank leaders and advocates working on groundbreaking practices that can further the impact of land banking.

This year, featured leaders this year included Taylor Bennett, Executive Director of the West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation and Crystal Loffler, President of the New York State Office of Community Renewal. Check out those conversations on our blog:

• What’s the Deal with Rural Land Banks? A Q&A with West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation Executive Director Taylor Bennett
• A Conversation with Crystal Loffler, President of the Office of Community Renewal