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Omaha Municipal Land Bank
1905 Harney, Suite 224 Omaha, NE 68102
omahalandbank.org
Shannon Snow
Executive Director
grants@omlb.org
+1 (402) 800-1235
Yes
The Land Bank currently employs four full-time staff: Executive Director, In-House Counsel, Director of Operations, and a Legal Assistant. The Executive Director and staff work under the supervision of a Board of Directors, which consists of seven voting members and additional nonvoting members all appointed by the Mayor of Omaha. A copy of our organizational chart is attached.
The Omaha Municipal Land Bank is the only land bank in the state of Nebraska today. Our programs, services, and statutory abilities are what differentiate the Land Bank from traditional real estate organizations. Under the Nebraska Municipal Land Bank Act, land banks have the unique ability to acquire property, extinguish any title encumbrances, and dispose of them for redevelopment. The Omaha Municipal Land Bank (OMLB)is a local, governmental, nonprofit organization that acquires, maintains, and sells vacant and distressed properties for productive use. Each year, the Land Bank maintains an average of 300 vacant properties in Omaha. Several of these properties are located in Omaha’s most underserved neighborhoods. Vacant, abandoned, and dilapidated properties result in an increase of violent crime, safety and health hazards, and depressed property values. By acquiring, maintaining, and selling these properties for strategic reuse, the OMLB is able to support long-term community redevelopment in Omaha. The Land Bank’s disposition priorities ensure that properties are sold for the highest and best use. In 2021, the Land Bank updated its polices to include prioritizing the sale of properties in historically redlined areas to residents within that community. Under this policy, the Land Bank can help ensure that residents in historically redlined communities are given the opportunity to build generational wealth through purchasing a property. The Omaha Land Bank was the first in the country to have this type of priority, and it has established itself as a national leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion. The policy itself serves as an example for other communities to incorporate generational wealth-building priorities into their processes. In October, the Land Bank board is expected to pass updated policies that will further solidify this commitment to empowering development and promoting generational wealth. This new policy prioritizes neighbors and includes language that applies to South Omaha residents. In 2021, the Land Bank sold 66 properties to buyers who had plans to expand property lines (24% of dispositions), create community spaces (13%), build new housing (38%), or build a new business (7.5%). Side lots, which are unbuildable lots, comprised 9.2% of property sales in 2021. In the upcoming years, the OMLB will continue focusing its efforts on acquiring, maintaining and selling distressed properties.
Partnership Availability
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Capital project
The Omaha Municipal Land Bank is honored to submit this proposal in support of the applicants for the LB 1024 funding opportunity. Through adoption of our policies and procedures, our board has communicated that building generational wealth is a priority for the Land Bank. The Economic Recovery Act presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in North and South Omaha – communities that have been adversely impacted by policies such as redlining. The available funding will significantly help with this goal. The opportunity for your committee to assess the projects with the greatest impact is no small task. The Omaha Land Bank was created to address issues related to vacancy, blight, and property abandonment in the City of Omaha, and the majority of these properties are in North Omaha. Given the Omaha Land Bank’s expertise and location in North Omaha, we are prepared to serve as a partner to awarded applicants where it is appropriate, as long as such partnership is in accordance with our legal responsibilities and approved by our Board. We invite further conversations with the members of the Economic Recovery Act Committee and Olsson to discuss how the Omaha Land Bank might serve as a partner for applicants who might need assistance with identifying and preparing land parcels, for example. Thank you for your commitment to Nebraska. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Determined by committee
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Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development) Long-Lasting Economic Growth (i.e., a proposal that will foster gainful employment opportunities and financial investment in the area, leading to the creation of generational wealth and widespread economic vitality in North and South Omaha) Transformational (i.e., a proposal that will help energize, recharge, or spur significant and favorable advancements in North or South Omaha's function or appearance)
Other Infrastructure (i.e., develop or improve broadband, business districts, roadways, sewer, etc.) Policy (i.e., develop or improve context-sensitive education, finance, health, training, zoning, etc.) Quality of Life (i.e., create or enhance natural spaces, mixed uses, parks, safety, etc.) Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)
This submission is in support of all applicants of 1024 - the Land Bank is open to discussing partnership where it is appropriate.
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We are available to assist with any project where it aligns with our mission, specifically in land acquisition and preparation. As a quasi-governmental 501c3 we have options to explore further grant funding for projects through programs like CDBG and proposed Federal Bills like the Land Bank Act.
Depending on the partnership, we may require funding to achieve the outcomes. However if work can be conducted in our normal course of business we would not request funds for partnership. Funding would need to be discussed in partnership discussions.
The Land Bank is willing to support as much as we can within our normal operations, if we need to hire staff or acquire property we would have to request funds for that support. Additionally, the Land Bank is willing to apply or receive other funding to assist in project success. As a quasi-governmental 501c3 we may be able to leverage funding that other partners cannot, and we are open to these discussions.
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Organizational Chart