Detroiters who are frustrated with the process of obtaining land bank properties may find relief through a new initiative aiming to ease access to land and home ownership.
Mayor Mary Sheffield and Detroit Land Bank Authority Director Tammy Daniels on Nov. 9 announced a plan to boost transparency, access and accelerate the development and renovation process for land bank homes, which residents have long complained about while Sheffield was a City Council member. City officials and community members announced and celebrated the plan outside of a Dexter-Linwood home, one of dozens that will be restored to serve as temporary housing for Detroiters experiencing housing instability.
“I heard, firsthand, from Detroiters who wanted to purchase a land bank property, fix up a home, or invest in their neighborhoods. But they oftentimes felt frustrated throughout the process. They wanted greater access to properties, they wanted clearer answers, and they wanted a partner who would help them navigate the process more easily,” Sheffield said. “Our residents deserve a land bank that is transparent, that is accessible, and focused on neighborhood stability.”
Daniels said the plan centers on a resident-first approach that strengthens the land bank’s buyer protections through property tours and other support to help buyers understand how to renovate severely distressed properties. Daniels also highlighted the property at 2626 Webb St. in Detroit, where officials stood, as an example of restoring distressed property, which is one of the goals of the land bank.
“This is what returning property to productive use can look like. A beautifully renovated property that no longer is a blight on the community, but also an asset to those who are in need of assistance,” Daniels said.
The reforms come as the City Council in recent years has debated the land bank’s relevance. In December, the council renewed a one-year operating agreement with the DLBA after spending much of 2025 considering significant changes proposed by Council Member Mary Waters.
Sheffield had publicly considered rolling some functions of the land bank under the city’s housing department. As a council member, she sought clearer processes and improved customer service in response to resident complaints. Unlike some others, Sheffield did not advocate to dismantle the land bank, but said it needed major improvements.
Focus on buyer protection
The first part of the plan involves thorough vetting of potential buyers to certify they have the financial means and providing free tours of properties for buyers to gauge the needed rehab work.
It also includes a $1.5 million grant program to help buyers complete the renovations and bring their properties into compliance, and a separate $1.5 million emergency resource assistance program to help occupants of land bank-owned properties complete the Occupied Buy Back program, which provides residents a pathway to homeownership.
Increased access
Sheffield mandated that any city-imposed holds on 7,500 land bank properties be released and made available for sale. The move is expected to address frustrations over unavailable properties being withheld from sale to residents for potential larger developments, according to the city.
The land bank will also provide a new tracking tool showing its 56,000 parcels, including the available properties, land being held from sale and the reason for the holds.
Revamped customer service
The land bank is creating a new field office at Butzel Family Recreation Center to expand access to programs, a 72-hour turnaround standard for customer service requests and a new after-hours customer service resource for prospective buyers and current clients.
Simplifying programs
Small-scale beautification project purchases, such as community gardens and green spaces, will be directed through the DLBA website, as opposed to requiring the process to be handled in person for residents, block clubs and community groups.
The Nuisance Abatement Program will move to a referral-only model and the land bank will no longer survey neighborhoods for troubled properties, according to the city. The program will only accept and review referrals from residents and from city departments, registered community groups and from City Council.
The revamped vetting process will include a referral for housing assistance if occupants are found in a vacant property. The Nuisance Abatement Program will not apply to occupied homes.
Priority areas and homelessness prevention
The land bank will commit $6 million to restore 75 homes to provide temporary supportive housing for residents in need of housing stability.In partnership with the Homeless Action Network of Detroit, which acts as the city’s Continuum of Care, the land bank will create more than 170 beds for Detroit’s housing insecure residents.
“Today marks a commitment to ending homelessness in the city of Detroit. This is something that is innovative. I have not seen this in all my time working in the homeless response system, so I am just elated that we will have people, men, women and children who will be able to call this home, not a shelter, but they will be able to call this home,” said Tasha Gray, executive director of the Homeless Action Network of Detroit.
Dana Afana is the Detroit City Hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.