On Wednesday, the Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation Board of Directors discussed that the state Attorney General’s Office will be again funding money to local land banks to continue rehabilitating houses that can still be saved and demolishing those that cannot. Gina Paradis, land bank administrative director, said they expect to hear this month more about the application process to receive additional funding from the state. She said the deadline for the application will most likely be in September. She added that an official statement about more funding from the state hasn’t been released yet by Eric Schneiderman, state attorney general.

The last time it was announced the county would be receiving funding from the Attorney General’s office was October 2014. In 2014, Schneiderman announced that $20 million would be given to state land banks working to rebuild and restore neighborhoods hit hard by the housing crisis. The Attorney General’s Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative also allocated $13 million through a competitive application process in 2013. The Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation received $1.3 million in 2014 and $1.5 million in 2013 from the state.

In 2014, the funding for the land banks was drawn from a $25 billion settlement with the nation’s largest banks that the attorney general helped negotiate in 2012. During the decade of the housing boom and bust, from 2000 to 2010, the number of vacant properties in New York state increased 27 percent. Following the collapse of the housing market, the state Legislature passed a law in 2011 establishing land banks nonprofit organizations that can acquire vacant, abandoned or foreclosed properties and rebuild, demolish or redesign them. By restoring vacant or abandoned properties, land banks can lower costs for local governments, benefit public schools, reduce crime and boost local economies. In 2012, the Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation was established.

However, the legislation that authorized land banks in New York did not provide funding for them. Schneiderman launched the Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative to fill that gap and allow land banks to fulfill their purpose.

Mark Geise, Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation executive director, said they are not expecting to receive as much funding from the state as they did the first two times because there are now more land banks throughout the state. He said the county Land Bank will be one of 10 land banks vying for a portion of $13 million.