Isabelle Norman has produced a report analyzing the potential of community-led land banks to preserve affordable housing and neighborhood stability amid competitive housing markets. The report, developed in partnership with the Community Practice Lab (CPL), also identifies other Orange County communities that are currently at risk of displacement and recommends best practices for community stakeholders interested in developing sustainable land banks.
Isabelle’s work is part of the CPL’s larger collaboration with the and the to identify tools to preserve affordable housing through which Orange County residents can age in place, as well as the CPL’s partnership with the , a hub for community action in the historically Black Northside neighborhoods of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
Isabelle first analyzed how the community-led Northside Landbank helps stop investor encroachment by purchasing homes in transition, which are then redeveloped and sold to affordable housing agencies or families. The decade-long success of the Northside Landbank, according to Isabelle, underscores the power of community-led land banks to maintain neighborhood identity and prioritize affordable housing.
Isabelle then conducted a spatial analysis of structurally vulnerable populations, housing market dynamics, and demographic shifts in Orange County to identify communities that are most vulnerable to displacement. Based on this analysis, Isabelle used a three-pronged approach to understand each community’s displacement risk, affordable housing options, and current development. Isabelle found that residents of the Town of Carrboro and the City of Mebane are at a high risk of housing development, which suggests they might benefit from establishing a community land bank.
Finally, Isabelle produced policy recommendations and next steps as resources for stakeholders who may be interested in developing a land bank in their own communities.
Isabelle produced this report, Exploring Land Banks as a Tool to Prevent Displacement in Orange County, North Carolina, as part of her Master’s program in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. CPL Primary Lead Dr. Ryan Lavalley and CPL Fellow Leiha Edmonds offered support throughout the project.
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