Who We Are
The Central Illinois Land Bank Authority (CILBA) works with twenty-six member communities across eight downstate Counties to reclaim vacant and abandoned properties. The land bank partners to revitalize neighborhoods, increase property values, stabilize real estate markets, and drive resources to benefit community residents.
Over the last five years, the Land Bank has accomplished over 100 projects. CILBA has completed over 75 demolitions and 50+ rehabs. Completed projects were funded by grants from the Illinois Housing Development Authority and local American Rescue Plan Act Funds from members.
Organizational Overview
The Central Illinois Land Bank Authority (CILBA) was formed through an Intergovernmental Agreement in 2019 to help return vacant and abandoned properties to productive use. The Land Bank started in Vermilion County and gradually expanded to serve twenty-six member communities across 8 Counties in Central Illinois. The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) provided critical early seed funding and technical assistance; IHDA remains an important grant funder of local housing projects.
Land banks exist as regional housing and economic development tools for municipalities with limited manpower and financial resources to legally hold, manage and develop tax-delinquent or bank foreclosed properties and put them back into productive use. CILBA seeks to facilitate the redevelopment of acquired properties through strategic partnerships with developers, community organizations, lenders, and local governments. The Land Bank’s overarching goal is to improve quality of life, stabilize the tax base, and enhance economic activities in a manner consistent with local government plans and priorities.
CILBA has helped small, rural communities build a code enforcement foundation to address blight, pilot rehab programs, and focus on proactive housing preservation strategies. CILBA utilizes a data driven framework to pinpoint problems and raise grant funds to address the unmet housing needs/challenges of rural communities downstate.