The Waterbury Land Bank Authority is a vehicle for supporting broader community development.

The Waterbury Land Bank Authority (“WLB”) works to enhance the quality of life for Waterbury residents. We do this by repurposing vacant lots and structures into new community assets. We work closely with the City of Waterbury, other community nonprofits, and local businesses to catalyze neighborhood investments. Our priorities include infill housing, housing rehabilitation, community greening projects, and expanding Waterbury’s tree canopy. Our work promotes a mix of housing options, reduces blight, and clears dilapidated structures to allow new development.

The mission for the Waterbury Land Bank is  “To strengthen neighborhoods by returning distressed property to productive use, promoting economic development, increasing real property values, and improving the quality of life for Waterbury residents.”

ACQUIRING A PROPERTY

There are a variety of opportunities through the Waterbury Land Bank, with programs that make acquiring a property very accessible. Explore our programs and services to see how affordable it is to join in the growth of Waterbury.

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NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE WORK

The Waterbury Land Bank Authority geographical target is the City of Waterbury.

Our overall objectives include:

  • Developing in-fill housing and that increase the supply of affordable housing and increase community equity for new owner-occupants.
  • Reduce density in neighborhoods through strategic demolition of blighted properties and therefore, provide more air, light, and space between properties.
  • Convert vacant lots to off-street accessory parking and to community gardens for residents to produce healthy foods.
  • Increase the urban tree canopy and improve the natural resiliency of Waterbury by planting native trees and shrubs on selected non-developable land slivers.
  • Promoting a Side Lot Program with vacant lots (land slivers and others) to sell vacant lots to responsible adjoining property owners.

Our activities will be delivered in and to “disproportionately impacted” or “impacted” neighborhoods and households.1

The Waterbury Land Bank has identified 16 inner-core neighborhoods closest to downtown, where incidences of blighted and dilapidated housing are greatest. We include 16 Qualified Census Tracts, or tracts designated by the Secretary of HUD as “areas where either 50 percent or more of the households have an income less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI.) The map illustration shows the neighborhoods in Waterbury, and the highlighted neighborhoods are those which the WLB will initially target: Berkely Heights, Brooklyn*, Crownbrook*, Hillside*, Hopeville (north end), New PAC*, North End, Overlook (southern half), South End*, Washington Hill *, Waterville, Willow Plaza*, and WOW*. Neighborhoods noted by “*” are those where the city and its partners have been actively working on community revitalization and where we believe WLB’s activities can enhance the durability and success of those efforts.

 

1“Disproportionately impacted” households or tracts include tracts or households earning <40% of area median income (AMI) or 150% of poverty guidelines

“Impacted” households or tracts include tracts or households earning <65% AMI or 300% of poverty guidelines

 

 

See What People Are Saying

“LISC is excited to see the Waterbury Land Bank get started, and we look forward to working with it to fight blight, build wealth, and revitalize neighborhoods.”

Jim Horan, Executive Director
LISC Connecticut | Local Initiatives Support Corporation

“The Harold Webster Smith Foundation has backed the newly established Waterbury Land Bank Authority from the very beginning. We salute Mayor O’Leary and the Board of Aldermen for bringing this important initiative to life.  Under its experienced and committed staff and board, the Land Bank has great promise to strengthen the City’s neighborhoods by returning distressed properties to productive use, promoting economic revitalization, improving housing and advancing equitable opportunity for Waterbury residents.”

Jim Smith, Chairman, 
Harold Webster Smith Foundation

“The Waterbury Land Bank Authority is pivotal for the management of vacant lots and properties so they can be redeveloped for a better, more productive use. Its work will continue to help the economic development and redevelopment efforts throughout our city allowing businesses to grow and thrive. The Waterbury Regional Chamber supports the Waterbury Land Bank Authority’s work to further help the city acquire and rehabilitate abandoned and blighted properties”

Waterbury Regional Chamber