Key Takeaways from the Ohio Land Bank Conference

Staff from The Port recently attended the Ohio Land Bank Association Conference in Toledo, returning with fresh ideas and useful lessons from Land banks across the state. As the Hamilton County Landbank, a managed entity of The Port, we are always looking for ways to strengthen how we serve Hamilton County communities, and this year's conference delivered. Below are some of the key takeaways our team brought home to Cincinnati from the 2026 conference. 

Smarter Property Maintenance with Ground Cover

Land banks handling higher volumes of demolitions than ours have found a simple but effective solution for managing vacant lots: replacing traditional grass with white clover or a 50/50 blend of grass and white clover. The results speak for themselves, with significantly reduced mowing frequency, lower long-term maintenance costs, and no neighbor complaints reported. As we continue to maintain hundreds of properties across Hamilton County, this kind of low-cost, low-maintenance approach is worth exploring for our own portfolio.

Leveraging Jurisdictions for Property Maintenance

Some land banks have developed a creative model where local jurisdictions maintain land bank properties throughout the year and are reimbursed at year end. While this approach is most common in organizations with smaller staff, the idea reflects something we already believe in deeply: land banks working as true partners with their communities. Supporting local capacity, keeping dollars circulating locally, and freeing up jurisdiction staff to redirect their efforts where they are needed most are all values that align with how we approach our work in Hamilton County.

Home Repair Loans and a Preservation First Mission

The Lucas County Land Bank offered a standout example of what it looks like to put preservation at the center of a land bank's mission. Their low-interest home repair loan program, developed in partnership with local banks, helps homeowners address critical repairs before properties reach the point of no return. What sets the program apart is how thoughtfully it supports the homeowner through the process. Participants receive take-home packets to guide them through hiring qualified contractors and avoiding scams, along with plain-language cheat sheets to help them better understand their loan terms. Lucas County has made clear that their land bank does not simply respond to blight after the fact; they work proactively to keep homes and communities intact. It is a preservation philosophy that resonates with our own commitment to stabilizing and revitalizing Hamilton County neighborhoods.

Through our Legacy Home Improvement Loan Program, The Port offers resident homeowners in the City of Cincinnati loans up to $25,000 at a 2% interest rate to address critical repairs, energy upgrades, and accessibility improvements, with a dedicated program coordinator guiding homeowners through every step of the process. 

Measuring Impact: A Model Worth Pursuing

The Cuyahoga County Land Bank shared one of the most powerful data points of the conference: research conducted in partnership with local colleges found that for every $1 invested in the land bank, $11 is returned to the community. That kind of return on investment is a compelling story, and it is one we should be telling too. As The Port continues to grow our impact across Hamilton County, exploring similar research partnerships could help us better communicate the ROI of the Hamilton County Landbank’s work to residents, elected officials, and funders alike.

New Construction Through Strategic Partnerships

Knox County provided an encouraging example of what becomes possible when land bank resources are paired with the right partners and funding tools. By leveraging Welcome Home Ohio (WHO) funds alongside Habitat for Humanity and a local homebuilder, Knox County was able to construct 12 new homes, compared to the two homes per year Habitat had previously been able to build on its own. It is the kind of scalable partnership model that reflects how land banks across Ohio are stepping up to meet the housing needs of their communities.

Looking Ahead to 2028

The Ohio Land Bank Conference is always a valuable reminder that land banks across the state are tackling shared challenges with creative, community-centered solutions. We look forward to bringing these ideas back to Hamilton County and continuing to find new ways to make real estate work for everyone.

Next year, the conference heads to Youngstown, and we are already looking ahead to 2028, when Hamilton County will have the honor of hosting. Having that on the horizon gave our team an extra reason to pay close attention this year, taking note of what works, what inspires, and what we want to bring to Cincinnati when it is our turn to welcome land bank professionals from across Ohio.