08/26/2026
What happens when a third of a neighborhood's homes sit vacant?
That was Pittsburgh, Southwest Atlanta, in 2009. The foreclosure crisis hit hard. Vacant homes brought crime, blight, and falling property values.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, in collaboration with multiple partners, including the Metro Atlanta Land Bank, stepped in. Together, they launched the Pittsburgh Homes Project, acquiring 54 sites and turning them into 70 new housing units for low- and moderate-income families.
In a recent podcast episode, our Executive Director, Christopher Norman, sat down with the Annie E. Casey Foundation for a 15-year look-back conversation about how it happened.
He breaks down the MALB's role in holding the property portfolio, clearing titles, and stabilizing assets so redevelopment could move forward.
The result: a model now replicated by land banks across the country.
🎧 Watch the full conversation. Find the link in the comments.
