Michigan State Land Bank Authority Holdings, Historical Redlining, and Social Equity

Abstract

Land bank programs aid in rejuvenating and revitalizing communities. Historical redlining has been shown to have negative long term economic, health, and environmental justice outcomes for poorly graded neighborhoods. This article shows that the State Land Bank Authority of Michigan (SLBA) holds parcels disproportionately in historically redlined neighborhoods. Further, the data reveals that the SLBA holds parcels in neighborhoods across all historical redlined categories with higher social vulnerability and lower mortality rates, in many cases also with higher minority representation. The potential policy impact is that the SLBA, and possibly other land banks following suitable research, can serve as effective channels to reach the most at-risk populations.