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FAQ
The Houston Land Bank is a local government corporation created by the City of Houston to help solve the problem of vacant, abandoned and deteriorated (VAD) properties in communities throughout Houston. Land banks in cities across the U.S. return VAD properties to productive use for homes or businesses, and help generate tax revenue for better city, county and school services, by acquiring the properties and eliminating title or ownership issues that had left the properties dormant. Established in 1999 as the Land Assemblage and Redevelopment Authority, the organization changed its name to Houston Land Bank in 2018 to reflect a new expanded mission focused on helping more neighborhoods address more problem properties.
We strengthen neighborhoods and make homeownership affordable for more Houstonians; we do that by obtaining VAD properties, and putting those properties back into productive use. New affordable homes will be built on most of our lots, and land banks sometimes also assemble and own or sell property for other uses in line with the community’s plans like small business development or neighborhood gardens. Through the Houston Land Bank’s work, more Houstonians can afford to own a safe, quality home in a neighborhood where they can thrive. And by putting properties back on the tax rolls, we improve communities’ quality of life while keeping taxes lower for everyone else, because turning VAD properties into new home sites generates additional resources for our public schools and essential city and county services.
In many Houston neighborhoods, properties sit vacant, abandoned and deteriorating. They cost all of us money by lowering property values and encouraging crime. Meanwhile, Houstonians are having a harder time finding homes they can afford on an average paycheck. The Houston Land Bank is helping to solve both of these problems by putting these VAD properties back into use; we acquire the properties through tax foreclosure or purchase them outright, and return them to productive use as sites for new affordable homes and community development.
The Houston Land Bank is governed by a 13-member board of directors. The board must hold its meetings in public by state law; meeting minutes can be found here. Board members are appointed by the mayor of Houston (five appointees who must be confirmed by City Council), Houston City Council (two), Harris County Commissioners Court (three) and the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees (three). The mayor is an ex officio non-voting member of the board and may direct the Houston Land Bank’s priorities.
Most properties in the Houston Land Bank inventory were acquired through tax-strike off agreements with HISD, City of Houston and Harris County. Strike-off is a process that occurs after a tax delinquent property is brought to tax auction and does not sell. The property is then “struck off” (deeded to) the Houston Land Bank in order to steward the property to new ownership that meets community needs. Many land banks also acquire property on the open market for specific community development projects or purposes, and the Houston Land Bank is beginning to utilize this option along with continuing to acquire tax-delinquent properties.
The Houston Land Bank is funded by a grant from the City of Houston, using money collected by tax increment reinvestment zones across Houston and designated for development of affordable homes. Other revenue opportunities are available to the land bank, including selling land bank properties for development that suits the neighborhood, and owning property that generates income for us to put into community improvement projects.
Our emphasis is improving historically underserved neighborhoods where lack of affordable homes and quality commercial development are needed and wanted by the community. The Houston Land Bank’s properties are shown on our property map; at present, most of our property is located in Acres Homes (northwest Houston), Sunnyside (south of downtown), and the greater Fifth Ward (northeast of downtown). We are planning to acquire properties in additional neighborhoods, focusing on areas the City of Houston has designated as Complete Communities.
Here are some other common questions – for more, click on the question and see our best information: