The city of Campbell is thanking the Mahoning County Land Bank for its help in tackling the problem of vacant houses and abandoned properties. 

Demolitions have become a common sight in Campbell. City council decided it needed to do something about the nearly 400 vacant properties in the city and it turned to the Mahoning County Land Bank for help.

"We didn't come in and make the decision, they made the decision, they defined the area in which we should work and they ranked all of the properties from the worst of the worst," said Debora Flora, Executive Director of the Land Bank.

Nearly a hundred houses have been removed, including 17 just this month. In many cases, the empty lots become green space. 

"The demolition brings people relief.  The greening can bring people joy. So this spring and summer we are going to be doing some different greening techniques and I think it's really going to redefine those streets," Flora said.

The county treasurer says removing vacant, unsafe properties is a win-win situation. "The those properties can go back on the active tax role as productive properties," Treasurer Dan Yemma said.

The land bank bears the cost of the projects and receives reimbursement from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. In the long run, it helps Campbell achieve its ultimate goal. "This is a great way to leverage the resources that became available into something greater," said Flora.

"With its tight budget, the city says none of this would have been possible without the cooperation of the land bank. "With our budget constraints, we never could have done this. It's been a blessing for the city to be able to have that type of resource to come in and help us with this program," Campbell Law Director, Brian Macala said. 

Flora says the majority of its resources are still spent in the city of Youngstown, which is ground zero for vacant houses.