Cleveland residents have until Nov. 20 to apply for city-owned vacant parcels through the Cleveland Land Bank, which manages and maintains vacant land held by the city, Signal Cleveland reported. Parcels can be sold or leased to individuals, developers, partner agencies and nonprofits. The portal reopened Sept. 21 and may shut down before the deadline if application volume is high, so staff have time to process submissions.
Eligibility rules require applicants to be current on property taxes and to have no active code violations on land they already own. Anyone holding residential rental property must also be current on rental registrations. Assistance is available at 216-644-7482 or CDCP@theclevelandohio.onmicrosoft.com, and in person at the Department of Community Development, Room 320, Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Ave., from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
A separate Green Space Grant effort from Neighborhood Connections and the Western Reserve Land Conservancy provides as much as $5,000 to individuals and small organizations for clearing, landscaping and repurposing vacant land. Eligible uses include upkeep such as mowing and debris pickup, planning a pocket park or community garden, reclaiming an unused plot, or repairing an existing project. Private-use revitalization is excluded, and owners who want to build must go through a longer City Planning Commission process.
The first grant deadline is Oct. 15, followed by rounds on Jan. 15, April 15 and Aug. 15 in 2027. Applicants must attend a grantseeker workshop hosted by Neighborhood Connections. Funding comes from the Bezos Earth Fund, which is providing $250,000 over three years; just over $80,000 is distributed annually, and a committee of seven Cleveland residents makes award decisions. Recipients cannot receive money directly and must use a fiscal sponsor such as a community development corporation or another 501(c)(3). FARE provides technical help to first-time applicants.