By JIM ROKAKIS & Gus Frangos
The Land Bank
Revolution
Fighting the Foreclosure Crisis and Taking Back Ohio’s Communities
The devastating impact that the foreclosure crisis had on America in the period between 2000-2010 resulted in what came to be known as the Great Recession. Communities in Ohio were especially hard hit. In Cuyahoga County, a group of dedicated public officials and community activists put together a powerful new tool called a county land bank. Over a period of ten years, this group of community leaders has raised hundreds of millions of dollars, demolished tens of thousands of vacant and abandoned properties, and made life better for countless Ohioans. This is their story.
This book is about more than just how a handful of creative thinkers organized to respond to the foreclosure crisis; it is a playbook on how activists and optimists can band together to find the consensus necessary to solve any problem, even during the uniquely divided times in which we live.
Anyone serious about trying to fight the scourge of abandoned properties and rebuild their communities should read this book, and see what determination and creativity can achieve.
Rokakis and Frangos tell a compelling and ultimately successful story of the role land banks play in restoring our communities and providing places where people are excited to live.
The Land Bank Revolution is the story of how a small dedicated group of individuals decided that the status quo was no longer acceptable, and through years of determination and creativity led to fundamental transformations in public policies around vacant and abandoned properties.
The Land Bank Revolution is a significant contribution to urban public policy writing. It is part history, part organizing primer, and part horror story. It is also an extremely optimistic book.
Jim Rokakis
Author
Jim spent his entire career in public service, focusing on policies and programs that improve the lives of the people of Ohio. He served as a Cleveland City Council member for 19 years, Cuyahoga County Treasurer for 14 more, and lastly as Vice President of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, heading the Thriving Communities program. Jim’s passion and area of expertise came into sharp focus during the housing collapse of 2000-2010, in what became known as The Great Recession. And fewer places were harder hit than Cuyahoga County, where Jim was born and raised. His leadership and commitment to help the county recover from the devastating effects of the collapse led the creation of the Cuyahoga County Land Bank, and eventually 60 more land banks all across Ohio.
Gus Frangos
Author
Gus Frangos was the primary drafter of Ohio’s legislation establishing enhanced-capacity county land banks and expedited tax foreclosure policy. Gus graduated with honors from Cleveland Marshall College of Law and served as an associate attorney at the law firm of Ulmer & Berne, concentrating in business law and litigation. He then served as City Councilman of Cleveland’s 13th Ward, where he sponsored and passed an array of community development legislation. In the early ’90s, Gus was appointed as a Magistrate Judge in the Cleveland Municipal Court, where he served with distinction. In 2004, he was retained by the Cuyahoga County Treasurer to craft legislation to help expedite the tax foreclosure process, specifically for vacant and abandoned properties. These efforts resulted in the passage of House Bill 294. He was also the primary drafter of Senate Bill 353, which established the first “County Land Reutilization Corporation” of its kind. House Bill 294 authorized expedited administrative tax foreclosures of abandoned land through the County Boards of Revision, and Senate Bill 353 enables the establishment of County Land Reutilization Corporations throughout Ohio with enhanced capabilities for the reclamation of distressed properties. Gus’s areas of legal concentration include land-related issues, Constitutional, commercial real estate, zoning, administrative and business transactional law.
Email Jim
jimrokakis@gmail.com
Email Gus
frangoslaw@yahoo.com