Community Land Trusts

A community land trust (CLT) is an equitable and sustainable model of affordable housing and community development that has slowly spread throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom during the past 40 years.

A community land trust is an independent not-for-profit company owned by the community that is legally incorporated in the country in which it is located. Most CLTs are started from scratch, but some are grafted onto existing non-profit companies. Most CLTs target their activities and resources toward charitable activities like providing housing for low-income people and redeveloping blighted neighbourhoods, making them eligible to receive certain government grants and other benefits.

The CLT acquires multiple parcels of land throughout a particular geographic area with the intention of retaining ownership of these parcels forever. Any building already located on the land or later constructed on the land is sold off leasehold to an individual homeowner, a cooperative housing corporation, a developer of rental housing, or some other community housing entity.

Although CLTs intend never to resell their land, they provide for the exclusive use of their land by the owners of any buildings located thereon. Parcels of land are conveyed to individual homeowners (or to the owners of other types of residential or community structures) through long-term ground leases. This two-party contract between the the CLT and a building’s owner protects the latter’s interests in security, privacy, legacy, and equity, while enforcing the CLT’s interests in preserving the appropriate use, the structural integrity, and the continuing affordability of any buildings located upon its land.

Click here to go to the Community Land Trust website.