Posted: 12:11 p.m.Friday, Feb. 19, 2016

Butler County land bank to get extra $2M todemolish eyesores

By Denise G. Callahan

Staff Writer

A new $2 million infusion of federalfunding means more eyesores will be erased throughout Butler County.

The ButlerCounty land bank has already spent almost $7 million in federal, state andlocal funding to demolish about 600 unsightly structures in Middletown andHamilton — the county’s two biggest cities.

U.S. Sen.Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said today that more federal Hardest Hit Funds — $2billion worth for the entire country — will come home to Ohio.

As part of theyear-end omnibus spending bill, Congress directed the U.S. Treasury Departmentto transfer $2 billion from the Making Home Affordable program to the HardestHit Fund (HHF), which has been used by land banks like the one in Butler County,to bust blight.

“This is amajor win for Ohiocommunities and homeowners that are still recovering from the housing crisis,”Brown, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and UrbanAffairs said earlier this year. “It’s critical that we continue to preserve andstrengthen a fund that has provided over half a billion dollars to address thehousing crisis in Ohioand to redevelop blighted neighborhoods by demolishing vacant properties.”

With $2.7million it received in Moving Ohio Forward grants from the state, Butler Countyformed a land bank four years ago to deal with blighted buildings. The citiesof Hamilton and Middletown each gave $1.1 million to the landbank fund as well. The two cities are currently working through $2 million inHHF money, removing as many as 120 eyesores.

Butler County commissioners agreed to siphon onepercent of delinquent tax and assessment collection funds (DTAC) to bolster theland bank and open up services for the entire county. DTAC funds are latepayment penalties on real estate taxes.

Including Hamilton and Middletown,there are now 10 member communities in the land bank. Fairfield,Hanover, Liberty,Oxford and Madison, Ross and Waynetownships and the city of Trentonhave all joined the land bank.