The primary purposes of the land bank project are: (1) to set forth how a land bank might be organized and operated to aid in the development of housing for low-income families by advance acquisition, holding, and timely disposition of sites; and (2) to examine rigorously the costs and benefits of such a land bank program. The land bank project is being carried out under a cooperation agreement between the Low Income Housing Development Corporation (LIHDC) of North Carolina and the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments (PTCOG). LIHDC is a statewide nonprofit housing development corporation (HDC) funded by the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity. LIHDC has worked since 1967 to organize sponsors to develop housing first under federal rent supplement, and subsequently under interest subsidy programs in both urban and rural areas. LIHDC has assisted in the development of housing for about 1600 families. The PTCOG is a regional planning agency organized in 1968 to serve an eleven-county area in North Carolina.