In 2015, the Cuyahoga Land Bank conituned to build on its success in administering the Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) in Cuyahoga County. The Ohio Housing Financing Agency (OHFA) established the NIP program in 2014, following the advocacy of the Thriving Communities Institute. The program is funded through OHFA with Hardest Hit Funds it receives from the U.S. Treasury Department. The program pays for the demolition of vacant and abandoned one to four unit residential structures, and for landscaping vacant lots. In 2014, the Cuyahoga Land Bank received approximately $11.25 million in NIP funding and received another $8.75 million in 2015. These funds are extremely important in our ongoing effort to reestablish property values in our communities.
In addition to HHF funding, Cuyahoga Land Bank received $3 million dollars from the Cuyahoga County Demolition Fund Program, a $1.2 million grant from Citigroup to continue our community development programming, and $126,000 from County Prosecutor Tim McGinty to participate in his targeted demolition program.