A Community Land Trust (CLT) is a nonprofit organization that holds land on behalf of a place-based community, while serving as the long-term steward for affordable housing, community gardens, civic buildings, commercial spaces, and other community assets. CLTs balance the needs of individuals who want security of tenure in occupying and using land and housing, with the needs of the surrounding community, striving to secure a variety of social purposes such as maintaining the affordability of local housing, preventing the displacement of vulnerable residents, and promoting economic and racial inclusion.
CLTs are governed by a board of CLT residents, community residents, and public representatives. They develop rural and urban agriculture projects, commercial spaces to serve local communities, affordable rental and cooperative housing projects, and conserve land or urban green spaces. However, the heart of their work is the creation of homes that remain permanently affordable, providing successful homeownership opportunities for generations of lower-income families.
There are over 260 CLTs in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and the model has begun spreading to other countries as well. Land in a CLT can be used for many things, such as agriculture, small businesses and community facilities, community gardens, rental housing, cooperative housing, and homeownership. CLTs are one form of what’s known as “shared-equity housing,” along with limited-equity cooperatives, resident-owned mobile home communities, and deed-restricted inclusionary housing.
