Welcome Home

It was an afternoon to raise the roof (literally).

For Catalyia, Melanie, Ebony, Lana, and Victo, it's a chance to build a life in a fully renovated, affordable home.

On August 6, 2025, the Land Bank blessed the first of five houses in its Welcome Home Ohio program with the help of Land Bank Chair and Lucas County Treasurer Lindsay M. Webb, Erin McPartland and team from Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity, and Patrick Smith, on behalf of Governor Mike DeWine and Director Lydia Mihalik, from the Ohio Department of Development.

Soon, these affordable homes will be sold to first-time homebuyers who will live in them for at least five years. With the State of Ohio's help, the Land Bank kept these houses out of the hands of speculators so that homeownership opportunities could be created.

The spirit of that afternoon was summed up by Catalyia's daughter, who was raised to the microphone to say: "Thank you for our home!"