DETROIT – A Detroit City Council member is pushing for reforms to the Detroit Land Bank Authority, including a proposal to split control of the organization between the mayor’s office and the city council.
Council member Mary Waters is leading the charge to change how the organization that acquires, manages, and sells vacant properties in Detroit operates.
“The purpose is to renegotiate with the state to say, ‘Alright, we don’t like the way that this land bank was set up in the first place,’” Waters said. “And here’s what we want to see, so we are empowered more so we can assist more residents in this city.”
Currently, all Land Bank board members are appointed by the mayor. Waters’ resolution proposes a significant shift in this structure.
“I want to see half of the board members appointed by the mayor, the other half by council and then one joint appointment so we’re just working together,” Waters explained. “It would be split right down the middle.”
While Waters initially considered pushing to eliminate the Land Bank entirely and transfer its responsibilities to BSEED and the housing revitalization department, she’s now focused on reform rather than dissolution, acknowledging the proposal might lack sufficient support.
The reform effort could gain traction under newly elected Mayor Mary Sheffield, who supported Land Bank reforms during her campaign.
“I’m happy that our new mayor, Mayor Sheffield, is open to some land bank reforms because it’s going to take all of us working together in order to get these reforms,” Waters said.
The Sheffield administration says it plans to meet with key stakeholders to develop a vision for how the land bank should be structured going forward.
Detroit Land Bank Authority CEO Tammy Daniels defended the organization’s track record in a statement.
“The Detroit Land Bank was created to address decades of vacancy, abandonment, and tax foreclosure that harmed Detroit neighborhoods and families,” Daniels said. “Our mission has always been to return property to productive use in ways that stabilize neighborhoods, expand homeownership, and benefit Detroiters.”
Daniels added that while they respect Waters may hold differing views, “the assertion that the Land Bank does not benefit Detroiters is not supported by the facts. DLBA programs have helped tens of thousands of Detroit residents become homeowners, supported long-term neighborhood stabilization, and, according to a recent independent analysis by the Griswold Consulting Group, have generated more than $2 billion in increased home value for Detroiters.”