Exploring the Utility and Value of Creating a Land Bank in Atlantic City

This memorandum summarizes key takeaways, observations, and recommendations for the U.S. HART CARES leadership team (US HART) and the City of Atlantic City (City) to consider as they explore implementation of a land bank to address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties in Atlantic City.

Program Background 

Virtually all communities have some inventory of VAD properties. These properties pose significant health and safety risks for residents and neighborhoods and disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities. VAD properties can be privately owned, but some communities have large inventories of publicly owned underutilized properties. Across the country, land banks have proven to be a powerful tool to address VAD properties and advance equitable revitalization outcomes consistent with community goals. 

In July 2019, Senate Bill No. 1214, the “New Jersey Land Bank Law,” was signed into law. The New Jersey Land Bank Law permits New Jersey municipalities to form land banks by entering into an agreement with a nonprofit or public redevelopment entity to serve as the municipality’s land bank. However, the pandemic stalled efforts to capitalize on this new community development tool. The Center for Community Progress and our partner the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (HCDNNJ) responded to renewed energy for addressing persistent housing challenges statewide and communities’ desires to explore the potential of land banks to advance equitable community development with the New Jersey Land Bank Launch initiative. 

The New Jersey Land Bank Launch initiative includes a scholarship program, announced in October 2023, for communities interested in exploring a land bank as a tool to address their VAD property inventories. In early 2024, we selected US HART, a nonprofit based in Atlantic City, to receive no-cost technical assistance to help local stakeholders answer a fundamental question: Would there be utility and value in creating a land bank to serve Atlantic City? 

A Land Bank in Atlantic City 

To help US HART and the City (Local Team) explore the utility and value of a land bank serving the community, Community Progress carried out a number of activities under this scholarship engagement, primarily: 

• Virtual and in-person interviews; 

• Biweekly calls with the Local Team; 

• A review of available parcel and market data, programs, policies, and relevant state laws; and 

• A two-day site visit with individual and group interviews. 

These assessment activities uncovered some real or perceived dynamics at the local level that must be carefully contemplated before implementing a land bank, as well as some promising findings and local strengths that correlate well with successful, impactful land banks. 

Ultimately, we found that while a land bank may be a useful tool in Atlantic City, there is more that needs to be done to ensure the process of creating the land bank is transparent, to clarify the land bank’s specific role and utility in Atlantic City, and to best position the land bank and the community for future success. The remainder of this memorandum outlines our observations and recommendations to help the City, in partnership with US HART and others, take the next steps in shaping the Atlantic City Land Bank.