Jason Knauer Land Reuse Program Manager Date of Hire August 2015 Education B.S. in Urban Studies, University of Cincinnati Describe yourself in three words. Caring. Helpful. Witty. What motivates you in your work? I love getting out and talking with… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank is a national leader in strategic blight removal and community development. It is an essential partner in administering the Cuyahoga County Property Demolition Program, which has eliminated over 2,000 blighted structures in under two years. The… Read more ›
Cuyahoga County Council recently passed legislation to launch the Cuyahoga County Housing Program, a $30 million, six-year effort to stabilize home values, eliminate blight and to encourage renovation and construction of affordable housing. The program will expand the efforts of the Cuyahoga Land Bank to include rehabilitation and housing market stabilization. Read more ›
The Cleveland Housing Court will hold a free seminar for landlords (and aspiring landlords) on Wednesday, March 6 from 3-6 p.m. at the Cleveland Public Library Fulton Branch (3545 Fulton Road) in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Read more ›
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cleveland completed construction on two homes in January and held dedications at which the families received keys to their new homes. Read more ›
Members of the Cleveland Police First District Community Relations team and Councilman Brian Kazy welcomed a mother and her children to their new home on Cleveland’s west side in January. Read more ›
St. Francis School, a vibrant educational institution on Cleveland’s near east side, serves as a beacon of hope and a source of quality education for neighborhood families and children. In 2016, St. Francis’s Principal Scott Embacher contacted the Cuyahoga Land Bank for help in assembling four abandoned and blighted houses directly across the street from its campus. Read more ›
A Cuyahoga County Council committee on Monday approved changes to a proposed $30 million housing program that would allow cities to veto any rehabilitation or demolition of homes within their borders. Read more ›
Family, friends, volunteers and staff of several partner organizations came together in December to welcome Chanelle and her two daughters into their new home in Garfield Heights. Read more ›
Cleveland’s attractive, family-friendly West Park neighborhood continues to experience increases in home sale prices. However, West Park is not immune to tax delinquent blighted houses. Read more ›
For first-time homeowner Bridgette Newell, buying a home from the Cuyahoga Land Bank was a pressure-free experience. After extensive searches for homes on real estate websites, Bridgette, 49, found her two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath fixer-upper on Lamson Avenue in Bedford on the Cuyahoga Land Bank website. Read more ›
Jessie Masters Information and Planning Specialist Date of Hire September 2016 Education B.S. in Architecture, Ohio State University Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning, Cornell University Describe yourself in three words. Persistent. Empathetic. Hungry. What motivates you in your… Read more ›
In 2017, the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation (CDC) purchased this 924 square foot home on Buechner Avenue and promptly sold it to Green Home Solutions in order to save it from demolition. Read more ›
Thanks to the Cleveland Chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (we continue to just call them angels!), many disadvantaged children in the Cleveland area will wake up to find shiny new bikes under their Christmas tree this year! Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank recently developed another new, modern single-family home. The 2-bedroom, 3-bath home on Hancock Avenue in Cleveland’s trendy Ohio City neighborhood stands on the site of a formerly blighted and abandoned property. “The development and sale of… Read more ›
Cuyahoga Land Bank staff recently rolled up their sleeves and lent a hand at a Thrivent Financial and Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity-hosted Pastor’s Build in the Buckeye-Shaker community Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank joined Thrivent Financial and Building Hope in the City as sponsors of the 2018 Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) national conference in Chicago in early November. Read more ›
Steve Billington Property Specialist Date of Hire July 2014 Education Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Cleveland State University What motivates you in your work? I’ve always been motivated by the desire to make a positive impact on my community. What… Read more ›
Our work does not end after the demolition of a blighted property. The Cuyahoga Land Bank works diligently to find new land reuses for the vacant land. Read more ›
As part of the 100th-anniversary celebration of Poland regaining its independence, the Polish American Cultural Center in Honor of Pope John Paul II hosted a ribbon cutting and grand dedication ceremony for their newly created Polish Heritage Garden November 11.… Read more ›
Women of Hope, a local non-profit group, continues its labor of love in creating transitional housing opportunities for women and children and veteran families in our community who are at-risk of homelessness. Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank recently welcomed Andrea Bruno as its new Real Estate Officer. Read more ›
Congratulations to Deidre Lightning-Whitted, Senior Demolition Inspector at the Cuyahoga Land Bank, on being honored by the Cleveland Police Foundation at its annual Community Relations Awards Ceremony. Read more ›
Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s 2018 Ohio Land Bank Conference, held October 23-24 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Downtown Columbus, offered up timely and essential information for more than 300 attendees from new and established land banks throughout Ohio.… Read more ›
In September, Cuyahoga Land Bank President Gus Frangos discussed urban neighborhood housing at the annual Christian and Missionary Alliance’s Central District Conference in Cleveland. Themed “Open Our Eyes,” the conference showcased the work being done through urban ministries, church missionaries and volunteers throughout the City. Read more ›
We are often asked about the day-to-day work of the Cuyahoga Land Bank from curious residents and community leaders. In this ongoing Behind the Scenes series, we look at the extensive work that goes into the demolition of blighted abandoned properties in the Cuyahoga Land Bank inventory. Read more ›
Firefighters put their lives in danger on the job every day, and one of the riskier events emergency responders face is rescuing people from collapsed structures. With no room for mistakes, training is especially important in preparing for this type of low-frequency, high danger situation. Read more ›
Court Community Service (CCS) is a not-for-profit agency that arranges community service work for adult offenders designed as a quality alternative sentencing option responsive to the needs of the courts and the community. Read more ›
At the Cuyahoga Land Bank, we encourage people to think outside the box when it comes to envisioning sustainable re-use of vacant land left behind after the demolition of abandoned and vacant houses. Lakewood resident Justin Husher is among… Read more ›
On August 20, local news media joined community leaders, including Cuyahoga County Executive Armand Budish, to see first-hand the progress the Cuyahoga Land Bank is making in removing blight from one East Cleveland neighborhood. As multiple crews demolished dilapidated houses… Read more ›
The Cuyahoga Land Bank and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently renewed its annual agreement that allows HUD to transfer low-value, vacant and abandoned properties to the Cuyahoga Land Bank for $100. The unique agreement has… Read more ›
Several Cuyahoga Land Bank directors and employees recently visited the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation’s (COCIC) Franklin County Land Bank in Columbus to share insights on land banking best practices and innovative programming opportunities. “We have a shared mission of creating safer,… Read more ›
In early August, the Cuyahoga Land Bank bid farewell to team member KC Petraitis who has taken a new position as the Director of Real Estate at University Circle Inc. Read more ›
A Euclid trucking business plans to expand its operation with a recent purchase of an adjacent property from the City of Euclid. Read more ›
In July, Lilah Zautner, Manager of Special Projects and Land Reuse and Jessie Masters, Information and Planning Specialist at the Cuyahoga Land Bank presented at the third Legacy City Preservation Conference, held in Buffalo, NY. The conference theme, “reGENerated,” invited attendees to engage, learn, ponder, share, and consider solutions for the hubs of creativity, innovation, and optimism that are Legacy Cities. Read more ›
Kim Steigerwald Acquisitions Manager Date of Hire November 2009 Education BA, Political Science, Bowling Green State University; Master of Public Administration, Kent State University Describe yourself in three words Faith-filled. Family. Focused. What motivates you in your work? We change… Read more ›
In the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, you can still see the scars of the foreclosure crisis — vacant houses with sagging porches and broken windows, empty lots where houses once stood and a still-thriving demolition business tearing down… Read more ›
Neighbors and friends of the Church of the Living God on Buckeye Road gathered on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in August for the dedication of William’s Place community park in Cleveland’s Buckeye neighborhood. William’s Place Park was named in honor… Read more ›
Making Way for Permanent Supportive Housing More than a decade after closing in 2006, the Old Brooklyn YMCA building was torn down in June by the Cuyahoga Land Bank. Neighbors joined City Council President Kevin Kelley, Councilman Tony Brancatelli. EDEN,… Read more ›
On July 28th and 29th 2018, the next generation of Rooms to Let: CLE kicked off its fifth year of transforming Slavic Village houses with innovative art installations. Led by Slavic Village Development Corporation, Rooms to Let: CLE seeks to… Read more ›
