Become a Member

Designated as a land bank by the state of PA, TCLB has legal abilities that make it easier to acquire properties and clear titles. To fight blight, land banks can:

• Repurpose abandoned properties at the scale of the problem in ways that are best for communities.
• Shift the burden and risk of addressing blight from a single municipality to a shared organization.
• Increase the number of potential buyers and uses for properties.
• Assemble unproductive properties for new economic development opportunities.

Benefits of addressing blight through a land bank include:

• More tax revenue for municipalities, school districts, and county government.
• Increased property values.
• Savings in code enforcement, police, fire, and public works costs.
• Improved health for community members.
• Reduced crime, especially gun-related violence.
• Revitalized communities, attractive for new residents and growth.

Who is Eligible?

Membership Requirements

By becoming a member of the TCLB you must agree to the following:

• Discharge unpaid taxes and other public liens on properties the Land Bank acquires.
• Remit 50% of the taxes for up to 5 years on properties the TCLB has successfully put back to productive use.
• Participate in the annual contribution to the Land Bank.

Process

• A written request must be submitted to the Chair of the Land Bank to be approved for membership by the Land Bank Board.
• Voting for new Land Bank Membership shall take place prior to the second quarter of the calendar year.
• If approved, the Land Bank shall provide a template Ordinance or Resolution, which authorizes signing the Tri-COG Land Bank Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement (ICA). The governing body of the Tax/Municipal Claim Jurisdiction shall adopt the Ordinance or Resolution, sign the ICA and provide an official copy of its Ordinance or Resolution to the Executive Director of the Land Bank.
• For more information please email [email protected].