Community Land Trusts Provide Permanent Affordable Housing
Innovative ownership models remove housing from speculative markets.
Community land trusts are growing as a solution to housing affordability crises. By removing land from speculative markets, these trusts ensure permanent affordability across generations.
The model separates building ownership from land ownership. Residents own homes but lease land from community-controlled trusts, ensuring properties remain affordable when resold.
Democratic governance gives residents voice in trust decisions. Communities determine affordability criteria and stewardship policies matching local needs and values.
The approach breaks cycles of gentrification and displacement. Even as neighborhoods change, trust properties remain accessible to working-class and low-income residents.
Initial funding comes from diverse sources including government grants, philanthropic donations, and community investment. Once established, trusts become self-sustaining through modest lease payments.
