Muncie Land Bank

Name

Muncie Land Bank

Legal name

Muncie Land Bank, Inc.

Website

https://muncielandbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Banking Services

NAICS

Lessors of Real Estate (5311), Rental and Leasing Services (532)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Real Estate Operators (No Developers) & Lessors (6510)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing & Urban Development Banks (Public) (FSABAKAG), Land Acquisition, Lot Development & Construction Financing (AD&C) (FSALAHAI)

Keywords

• Land banking services
• Vacant property management
• Community redevelopment
• Blight elimination
• Property disposition

Headquarters

HQ city

Muncie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Sales: The MLB sells acquired properties through two programs: Vacant Lot Auction (minimum $500 bid including closing costs) and Structures for Sale Program (properties requiring rehabilitation sold to vetted buyers with redevelopment proposals). Revenue is reinvested in operations.
2. Grant Funding: Primary funding from foundations and government entities. Major grants include $250,000 from Ball Brothers Foundation (largest grant), $80,000 earlier grant, seed funding for organization launch, and $6.75 million READI 2.0 investment with $3.2M designated for Old West End.
3. Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations from individuals to support blight elimination and property revitalization efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Muncie Land Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land bank based in Muncie, Indiana that acquires tax-delinquent and abandoned properties, holds them, and resells them to vetted buyers—including adjacent neighbors, local residents, nonprofit developers, and for-profit developers—to eliminate blight and support neighborhood redevelopment.

Product overview

Muncie Land Bank operates as a nonprofit land banking organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on acquiring, maintaining, and transferring vacant, abandoned, and blighted properties for community redevelopment. The core offerings include the Vacant Lot Auction Program for residential lot sales, the Structures for Sale Program for rehabilitation-ready properties, and supporting tools including the Property Inventory Dashboard (powered by ArcGIS), Property Tax Explorer map, and the Report an Abandoned Property form. The organization facilitates medium-scale redevelopment through strategic partnerships with nonprofits, local government, and Ball State University, with flagship initiatives in the Old West End, Whitely, and Industry neighborhoods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vacant Lot Auction Program Auction program that sells vacant lots to adjacent property owners, local residents, and other qualified buyers with a $500 minimum bid requirement.
• Structures for Sale Program Structured program for selling rehab-eligible structures to nonprofit and for-profit developers who commit to renovating the properties.
• First Friday Meeting Recurring monthly community meeting where residents and stakeholders can learn about properties, programs, and redevelopment efforts.
• Whitely & Industry Blight Elimination and Revitalization Project Targeted neighborhood-scale redevelopment initiative in the Whitely and Industry neighborhoods combining property acquisition, demolition, and structured resale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Acquired 71 properties, sold 51 properties since inception (2017)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Intend IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Formal partnership with Indianapolis-based nonprofit employing innovative financing for affordable housing. MOU signed July 2023 to boost organizational capacity and assist in comprehensive community development. Partnership integrates Edge Fund, Build Fund, and Affordable HomeMatters initiatives. Provides technical assistance and funding for affordable housing loan products.
• Ball State University Department of Urban PlanningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2017Ongoing collaboration since August 2017 providing hands-on student experience. Second- and third-year students conduct neighborhood surveys, housing assessments, and market analyses. Dr. John West (Department Chair) is co-founder and board member. Students produce reports guiding MLB strategy including Old West End, Industry, and Whitely neighborhood studies. MLB has hosted five student interns.
• PathStone CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit housing developer partner with proven track record. Partnership agreement formalized for property rehabilitation. PathStone secured CHDO and HOME grant funding to complete renovations. First milestone: 612 W 5th Street rehabilitation into affordable home listed at $79,900.
• Habitat for HumanitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit housing developer partner. Seven MLB properties used to support $1M Federal Home Loan Bank grant for 10 new homes (8 in Industry neighborhood, 2 in South Central). Habitat secured $1M grant through Affordable Housing Program.
• Urban Light Community Development CorporationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit housing developer partner driving Muncie revitalization, collaborating on Whitely & Industry Blight Elimination Project.
• 8twelve CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLB is Steering Committee member and chairs Housing Action Team. Coalition focuses on revitalizing South Central and Thomas Park-Avondale neighborhoods. MLB facilitates monthly Housing Action Team meetings, analyzes tax sale data, maps property opportunities, and supports partner acquisitions.
• City of MunciecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partnership with city government including Muncie Redevelopment Commission. MLB included in Together DM Comprehensive Plan as key partner for neighborhood stabilization. MOU with Muncie Redevelopment Commission signed September 2024. Mayor Dan Ridenour serves on MLB board.
• Delaware CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Delaware County Commissioners for property transfers. April 2024: 38 tax certificates and 2 deeded properties transferred via resolution. County Resolution No. 2024-006 formalizes transfer of tax sale certificates to MLB. Pursuing interlocal agreements for countywide service.
• Whitely Community CouncilsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner in Whitely & Industry Blight Elimination and Revitalization Project. Historically Black neighborhood with highest vacancy rates; active grassroots leadership driving resident-driven redevelopment.
• Industry Neighborhood AssociationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner in Whitely & Industry Blight Elimination and Revitalization Project. Second historically Black neighborhood with significant vacancy challenges.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cuyahoga Land Bank: Cleveland, Ohio land bank also cited as a founding model by Muncie Land Bank. Acquired and reutilizes vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties in Cuyahoga County using comparable legal authority and partnerships with nonprofit developers.
• Detroit Land Bank Authority: Large-scale Michigan land bank managing tens of thousands of properties in Detroit. While significantly larger than MLB, it operates the same fundamental model of acquiring tax-foreclosed properties and transferring them to responsible developers, with comparable urban context.
• Lucas County Land Bank: Toledo, Ohio land bank identified as a direct model by Muncie Land Bank leadership. Operates in a similar Midwest industrial city with comparable property abandonment challenges and reuse mechanisms, making it a strong comparable.
• Erie County Land Bank Corporation: Buffalo, New York land bank operating in a similar Rust Belt context with comparable property abandonment challenges. Engages in property acquisition, rehabilitation partnerships, and community development using a similar nonprofit land banking model.
• Marion County Land Bank (Indianapolis): Indiana's largest land bank, operating under the same IC 36-7-38 enabling statute as Muncie Land Bank. Comparable mission, regulatory framework, and Indiana-state focus, making it the most relevant in-state peer.
• Genesee County Land Bank Authority: Land bank in Flint, Michigan explicitly studied by Muncie Land Bank as a founding inspiration. Operates a similar model acquiring tax-foreclosed and abandoned properties in a post-industrial Rust Belt city, making it the closest comparable in mission, scale, and urban context.

Others

• Habitat for Humanity International: While not a land bank, Habitat for Humanity is MLB's largest nonprofit housing partner and received $1M from the Federal Home Loan Bank (via MLB) to build 10 new homes using 7 MLB properties. The organizations share affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization missions, making Habitat an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution (CDFI) supporting affordable housing, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization across the U.S. Operates in adjacent space with overlapping nonprofit and government partnerships similar to MLB's model.
• Center for Community Progress: National nonprofit focused on supporting land banks and addressing vacant property challenges across the U.S. Operates the Vacant Property Leadership Institute where MLB leadership trained, and provides technical assistance across the entire land bank sector.

Regional players

• South Bend Code Enforcement / South Bend Land Bank: Indiana-based land bank/code enforcement entity operating in the same state as Muncie Land Bank under similar Indiana enabling law. Comparable Midwest industrial-city context and partnership-driven model for vacant property management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MuncieLandBank
• Facebookfacebook.com/MuncieLandBank
• Xx.com/MuncieLandBank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/muncie-land-bank

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Muncie Land Bank