The Dayton City Council approved transferring 72 vacant parcels to the Montgomery County Land Bank to support new housing and neighborhood redevelopment under Ohios Welcome Home program.

City staff and the land bank told commissioners the parcels, concentrated in the Madden Hills and Fairview neighborhoods, will be used for a mix of new construction and renovations aimed primarily at first-time homebuyers earning up to 80% of area median income.

City staffer Tony Kroger described the transaction as a conveyance to the land bank for $10 in aggregate while noting the aggregate parcel value exceeds $50,000 and that transferring maintenance responsibility will save the city an estimated $300,000 in mowing and upkeep over 10 years. Kroger said the lots are predominantly zoned single-family and include parcels acquired previously through demolition programs.

Emmie Faibic of the Montgomery County Land Bank summarized grant-funded development plans: close to $7 million in state funds will back two phases across four geographies, with 40 new homes planned and 24 existing vacant structures to be renovated. Faibic said the program prioritizes income-eligible buyers at or below 80% of AMI and that the land bank has added a focus on first-time homebuyers or those who have not owned in the past three years.

Faibic said the program has an aggressive timeline tied to grant requirements with construction targets to be completed by May 2026 and that the land bank expects to start breaking ground in spring, contingent on obtaining permits in June.

Commissioners and staff discussed community outreach, noting neighborhood coordinators and citywide development staff have done door-to-door notification and engagement with neighborhood associations; Faibic and Kroger said additional outreach and marketing to partners, churches and neighborhood groups are planned. Commissioners pressed for written correspondence from neighborhood groups; staff said engagement records exist but that formal written endorsements were not on hand in the meeting packet.

Details the council heard: the grant imposes a maximum sale price of $180,000 for program homes; two local builders were named as contractors (Ohio Regional Constructors/Brandon Homes affiliate and Centerstone Homes); three model sizes were described (about 1,3501,500 square feet); and the land bank will determine parcel-specific uses including clustered new houses, side-yard additions or permanent open space.

The council approved the city managers recommendations on the consent calendar, which included the land conveyance to the Montgomery County Land Bank. Commissioners said they would continue to monitor neighborhood engagement, permit timing and design fit to address questions about aesthetics and adjacent nuisance properties.

What happens next: staff and the land bank will continue neighborhood outreach, finalize contractor permits and move toward closings and construction under the state Welcome Home grant timetable.