Neighborhood stability is one of the most critical factors in supporting community health, safety, and economic growth. Yet across DeKalb County, vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties often disrupt that stability—undermining public confidence, reducing property values, and discouraging investment.
At the DeKalb Regional Land Bank Authority (DRLBA), addressing these challenges is at the core of our mission. Through a focused, community-centered approach, the Land Bank works to reduce blight and restore opportunity where it’s needed most.
Understanding the Impact of Blighted Properties
Blighted properties are more than just visual concerns. Over time, they create measurable harm:
- Depressed Property Values: A single abandoned property can negatively affect the value of neighboring homes, leading to reduced wealth for existing homeowners.
- Public Safety Risks: Unsecured, vacant buildings are often linked to increased calls for service, vandalism, and other public safety concerns.
- Disinvestment: Areas with persistent vacancy may be overlooked by developers, financial institutions, and even local service providers.
- Tax Revenue Loss: Vacant, tax-delinquent properties drain municipal budgets and place greater strain on public resources.
Blight is not simply a result of disrepair—it is a symptom of disconnection from local systems of investment and care.
The Land Bank’s Role in Blight Reduction
The DRLBA uses tools authorized under the Georgia Land Bank Act to acquire, manage, and transfer distressed properties in a way that serves public goals. Our work is not about fast turnover—it is about intentional reinvestment.
Key functions include:
- Acquisition of vacant and abandoned properties
- Clearing legal encumbrances, including unpaid taxes and title issues
- Holding land temporarily for future public or nonprofit use
- Disposing of properties strategically to support housing, economic development, greenspace, and more
Every transfer is evaluated for long-term benefit, community input, and alignment with DeKalb’s development priorities.
Aligning Property Use with Community Needs
Rather than allowing distressed properties to linger or fall into speculative hands, the Land Bank facilitates productive, community-centered reuse. This includes:
- Affordable Housing: Partnering with mission-driven organizations to develop housing that serves working families, seniors, and other priority populations.
- Side Lot Disposition: Enabling homeowners to acquire adjacent vacant lots to improve neighborhood maintenance and safety.
- Conservation and Open Space: Supporting uses that promote environmental resilience and public health.
- Economic Development: Encouraging small-scale commercial projects that bring services and jobs to underserved areas.
By placing purpose over profit, the DRLBA helps ensure that every property contributes to neighborhood recovery, rather than continued decline.
Working in Partnership with the Community
Reducing blight is not a one-organization effort. It requires collaboration with:
- Local residents, who understand their block’s history and potential
- Nonprofits and developers, who have the capacity to improve and manage property
- Municipal partners, who align policy and infrastructure investments
Through open application processes, community consultation, and transparent decisionmaking, DRLBA creates space for all voices to be heard.
Moving From Stabilization to Transformation
While the removal of blight is the first step, it is not the final goal. DRLBA’s work helps transition neighborhoods from decline to stabilization, and eventually to transformation—a place where residents can thrive, invest, and remain.
Learn More and Get Involved
If you’re interested in learning more about how the Land Bank supports community stability, or if you’re a potential partner looking to apply for property, we encourage you to visit our website:
Together, we can move DeKalb County forward—one lot, one block, one neighborhood at a time.