Cuyahoga County, OH Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Fund basis
- County police powers, § 807.02
- Administered by
- Dept. of Housing & Community Development
- Round 1 grant cap
- $1,000,000 per applicant
- Per-structure cap
- $100,000 maximum
- Eligible applicants
- Municipalities and townships only
Summary
Cuyahoga County funds demolition of vacant, abandoned, and nuisance or blighted structures through a dedicated Property Demolition Fund created under the county's police powers, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
For the preservation of public peace, health, safety, and welfare in the County, there is hereby created the Cuyahoga County Property Demolition Fund pursuant to the County's police powers to abate nuisance and blighted properties, which shall fund demolition programs to be administered by the County Executive through the Department of Housing and Community Development.
B. The property demolition fund may be used county-wide for demolition projects with end users both known and unknown, and post-demolition dispositions ranging from buy- hold-and-maintain strategies to site assembly for strategic development and construction.
C. No portion of the property demolition fund or of any grant, loan, or other allocation from such fund shall be used to pay the costs of applying for a grant or loan for, or administration of, a demolition project; provided however that an applicant may use not more than two percent (2%) of any grant or loan awarded pursuant to Section
Full Breakdown
Under County Code Chapter 807, the county created a Property Demolition Fund specifically to abate nuisance and blighted properties, funding demolition programs administered by the County Executive through the Department of Housing and Community Development. Only municipal corporations or townships within Cuyahoga County (or their authorized agents, such as the Cuyahoga Land Bank) may apply for grants or loans from the fund to demolish structures certified as vacant, abandoned, and nuisance or blighted. Awards are capped at $1,000,000 per applicant in the first round, rising to a possible $2,000,000 in later rounds, with no more than $100,000 toward any single structure.
Violations & Fines
Applicants receiving demolition funds must place a lien on every blighted or nuisance-abated property demolished, except properties already owned by the Land Bank or the applicant, to help recover public costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a homeowner apply directly for county demolition funding?
What secures the county's investment after a demolition?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cuyahoga County
Compare Cuyahoga County to another location·View the Ohio property maintenance overview
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