FINDING YOUR FORTE

FINDING YOUR FORTE SOAR ANALYSIS

MAY 2024

A

2

SOAR – STRENGTHS OPPORTUNITIES ASPIRATIONS RESULTS

As it relates to METRO ATLANTA LAND BANK  What do we really excel at?  What are our greatest accomplishments?  What about our work makes you most proud?  What makes our work unique?

3

SOAR – STRENGTHS OPPORTUNITIES ASPIRATIONS RESULTS

As it relates to METRO ATLANTA LAND BANK  What trends in the current environment align with our strengths?  What threats do you see?  Are there gaps in our current state that we should fill?  What partnerships would lead to greater success for our mission?

4

SOAR – STRENGTHS OPPORTUNITIES ASPIRATIONS RESULTS

As it relates to METRO ATLANTA LAND BANK  What should we want to achieve in the future?  How can we most make a difference?  What of our purpose are you most passionate about?

A

5

SOAR – STRENGTHS OPPORTUNITIES ASPIRATIONS RESULTS

As it relates to METRO ATLANTA LAND BANK  What measures will tell you that we are on track to achieve success?  How would you translate our vision into tangible outcomes?  How would we know when we've achieved our goals?

6

SOAR FINDINGS – MALB LEADERSHIP

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

RESULTS

ASPIRATIONS

 We do execution well in regards in real estate acquisition and the disposition  We have embraced innovation and willing to try new and different things  Neighborhood Stabilization was a great accomplishment as was the Land Banking Program  Uniquely, we are a real off-balance sheet real estate company  We have a really good an engaged board  We’ve done a great job of engaging outside partners  We’ve been able to get all our records online

 Continue to strengthen the partnership with the City relative to its financial resources  Working with the capital that exists within philanthropy  Developers doing joint venture deals that allow us to leverage public land with private resources  Risk of running out of property is a risk. We’re trying to work ourselves out of business  How do we offset the tensions around affordability  Continuous improvement of our capacity  Our funding model can be challenge as an unfunded, mandated environment  To get our non-profit status back and then get foundation dollars

 Measurable, numerical impact in terms of units that are coming online that we can scale  Help people get better and help show the way  Incremental economic impact on tax rolls  We’ll have more opportunities through our partnership for example, being a purchasing agent for Atlanta Housing  Establish a working relationship with city and county – Formerly, we’ve had an agreement with city and county for sheriff and marshall deeds

 Requires intentionality and a clearly prescribed path forward  Tangible, measurable items that allude to success. Moving assets into production  Getting ourselves properly funded more sustainably  We have a board with rights and responsibilities to report our progress and success back to their appointing authorities

7

SOAR FINDINGS – CITY COUNCILPERSONS / COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

RESULTS

ASPIRATIONS

 There is longevity having been a stakeholder for so long and the credibility that comes with that  You’re the only game in town. Folks turn to you because you know what you’re doing.  Being postured to receive excess land. Framework has been operationalized very well.  The partnerships have been in place with Land Trust have been very impactful  Strong executive director with a long tenure with a strong board  Organization is much better known and active  Mayor and his team with their interest, urgency and focus around housing  The growth of its portfolio  Excellent leadership particularly around the state of Georgia

 Economic slow down is a threat as well as property values going up so high  Under-utilized or stagnant properties is a potential opportunity. Doesn’t fit into your model but if there were liens or some other acquisition path that would allow you to clean it financially and physically.  Our scope extends beyond what people know – better awareness or education would allow partners to think outside the box.  Be more active in acquiring in other vacant multi-family properties  Get more involved in commercial acquisitions  Would love the see the Land Bank going before communities and talking about what it does  Expand to other parts of the metro area with intention

 Proactive research and identification of parcels and properties versus waiting until they’re brought to your attention  Creating opportunity by transforming a property that otherwise would be stagnant  Be as aggressive as possible to help the housing crisis by getting more housing online  The existence of goals and regular check-in on them

 Number of parcels or land area  Individuals or businesses that have benefited from the land bank  Value – property value, tax digest  Explicitly highlight the partnerships  Measure successes and allow that to be part of the storytelling  Do more ride-along type experience  Work with next generation of Atlanta leadership (Leadership

Atlanta, LEAD Atlanta) to understand our mission

 Taking a look back at parcels that have been in the portfolio and what has come of them

8

SOAR FINDINGS – CITY COUNCILPERSONS / COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

RESULTS

ASPIRATIONS

 Doing the work of transforming neighborhoods that are underrepresented / underinvested  Affordability  Expansion of the land bank to additional municipalities in Fulton County; becoming a partner with those other municipalities and enduring some of that work in those communities outside of the city of Atlanta can have a great impact  The Land Bank should really aspire to a broader awareness and the ability for a broad set of stakeholders in two sentences to say what the Land Bank does  The Land Bank makes complicated things possible to create an outcome that is often affordable and not what the market dictates – it’s a cool, sophisticated instrument to create a good outcome.

 Metrics showing that they're allowing lower income families, middle income families that normally wouldn't be able to live in certain neighborhoods, have their kids go to certain schools.  Deal flow - You want a lot of things coming in, but you don't want them staying forever. You want them flowing out.  Telling the story about really complex issues and solutions  Thinking about geography suggest we work more in the suburbs. What are the implications of that?  Having a broad group of ambassadors that drive deal flow

 Excellent at partnerships bringing those different groups together to create these developments, whether that be developers, low-income developers, tax credits, people, municipalities, interest groups, foundations, that are interested in that world  Making a market for properties to come in and be held that doesn’t otherwise have a home.  Land Bank has been able to develop very solid relationships across a lot of different stakeholders which speaks to the strength of the brand

 Curious whether the rising value and price of land is a threat  Even though there’s been a lot of progress, most people have no idea what it does and how it exists  Would love to see the Land Bank get more involved in commercial acquisitions  Affordable housing, the aspect of maybe owning the land underneath the housing  Market forces are a threat though working with governments makes that easier because they're not susceptible to the market  Land Bank is unique position to address the eventual exit of this particular property cycle  The Land Bank depends on both supply and demand to really make it work well. If people don’t know about the it, they don’t feed the flow.

9

SOAR FINDINGS – CITY COUNCILPERSONS / COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

RESULTS

ASPIRATIONS

 City employee housing, city employee housing. The city should be doing a partnership with APS and the Land Bank to do housing next door to a lot of the schools for staff within the school system.  Land Bank is uniquely positioned to

 We should aspire to house city employees, firefighters, sanitation workers.  Train council persons to work with organizations on how to work with with the Land Bank.  Affordable housing and economic opportunities.  Like Paris that bought up commercial properties to create low barrier entryways for small businesses to specifically preserve missing middle housing.  Ending homelessness compassionately and sustainably

 City workers being able to own property in the city of Atlanta  Unemployment rates  Graduation rates rise, because

we're creating permanent living units in areas that have previously been neglected.

look at defining affordability in support of housing in highly amenitized communities around market rate housing.

 Income brackets are regaining diversity

 Land Bank is uniquely positioned to acquire more properties to utilize for more equitable opportunities  Hold the city's feet to the fire in terms of the ability to control land is one of the greatest powers that people seek to attain. Privilege and leverage should be used to ensure that we are planning for our most vulnerable first and foremost so that we have a trickle up effect.

10

SOAR FINDINGS – STAFF

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

RESULTS

ASPIRATIONS

 Turnkey acquisition of property.  Only public entity to function as real estate company and with ability to extinguish taxes.  Providing affordable housing.  Dual jurisdiction organization  We are unique in that we can do things others cannot legally do or do not have the flexibility to do so.

 The need to acquire and direct property for development of affordable housing.  Partnering with the Tax Commissioner to get right of first refusal on foreclosed properties would be a game changer  Fulton county needs its partnership strengthened  Partnership with private capital providers.  Banks and other financial institutions. Additional funding/money is needed.  Affordable housing is a HOT trend and a big key to affordable housing is affordable dirt...which we can provide.  Funding lapses

 Reinstating Non-profit status to seek foundation funds  Add more cities as formal members.  Decreased financial dependence on City and County contributions  Moving Tax Foreclosure forward  Continuing to help eliminate blight and eliminating the epidemic of abandoned, vacant, or problem properties in the community.  Can most make a difference by seeking foundation funding for increased innovation and efficiency

 Meeting our strategic articulation map goals. Reworking and tracking the headline indicators to more accurately track our impact.  Continued completion of projects with occupants.  Increased market and assessed value and tax revenue of properties touched by MALB.  Added partners - both Cities and organizations  Properties moved - partners added  More property and partners engaging our expertise and seeking support

11

SOAR FINDINGS – BOARD

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

RESULTS

ASPIRATIONS

 Our ability to provide affordable housing and the work we do to make sure true affordability is woven throughout everything we do.  Our legal framework to clear title, etc."  Our relationship with other city agencies  Competent staff that think creatively  Our mission and the ability to create foundations for our community members to live, work and raise families.  We excel at bringing together stakeholders to leverage their competencies to fulfill our goals.

 To fulfill the need, additional funding is required  Working closely with Tax Assessors office to garner more land  Potentially need metrics that can be revisited on a quarterly or semi- annual basis.  Housing shortages and affordable housing for low income familes

 Most passionate about working to provide housing for all.  Helping people build wealth through home ownership  Joint venture on developments to create revenue  Get more involved in property development, actually take part in the development of low income housing.  Consider more of a focus on

 Affordable housing units created from any property we touch  Increase in property taxes generated  Measures aligned to each of our focus areas (e.g., # of conversions, # in pipeline, return on investments, etc.)

12

SOAR FINDINGS – PARTNERS AND VENDORS

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

RESULTS

ASPIRATIONS

 It's the only land bank in Metro ATL or at least the largest operating one. Land Banks are critical tools for clearing title and extinguishing taxes  Waiver of taxes  Helping build capacity for our organization. For our real estate holding the MALB has been able to maintain the properties, keep them compliant  Community outreach and engagement and its growing our opportunities  Their team is consistent and easy to work with  Good to work with when they’re developing an area.  Communication with leadership and staff has been seamless

 Fulton tax commissioner is a threat  There is much unused potential with the landbank that is a shame!  Political will is great right now for affordable housing; MALB is uniquely positioned to help. But they need to be more visible as an integral tool  Stronger alignment with affordable housing developers.....  I am not aware of the Land Bank's specific programs or goals beyond the traditional banking and tax extinguishment purposes.  Trends that align with strength: property tax trends aren't coming down anytime soon.  It would be good if we had a better understanding of the role MALB plays  I understand trying to address affordable housing, but I would like to see a healthy balance

 Work more collaboratively with non- profits seeking to put properties in MALB....this would include a re- evaluation of fees associated with work  Cheaper in some cases to not use Land Bank instead of....  MALB should work more diligently to hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to property maintenance  Set the context by gathering and sharing the data of what properties need to be "cleaned" and returned to the market - - properties eligible for MALB  Land Bank needs to have their own funds so they can move faster, because construction pricing is high fluctuating

 Non-profits being eager to use MALB....current fee structure and maintenance standards are issues that need to be resolved to achieve success  % of partners surveyed who say they have a good working relationship with the MALB.  # of affordable properties developed, preserved and/or maintained  % of partners surveyed who say the MALB helps them achieve their goals effectively  Annual production - are all nonprofits using land bank and cycling properties in/out?  Housing is one of the biggest problems in the city of Atlanta so affordability and being able to carve out these spaces for folks to be able to live is something that's hugely important

13

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14

Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator