What is a Community Land Trust?

A Community Land Trust (CLT) is a member based non-profit organization that obtains and manages land for community benefit.

Community

A CLT is a membership based organization open to all people who live or work within a specified geographic area.

Land

Parcels of land are removed from the real estate market and become community- owned. The CLT owns the land and puts it to use for community benefit.

Trust

The CLT is a democratically governed organization. Through a unique board structure, meaningful community based decision-making is possible.

A CLT functions as a social change mechanism. It can provide opportunities for building stronger and more supportive communities.

  • Creating and preserving affordable housing
  • Securing long-term land security
  • Leasing affordable spaces for community groups, local-serving businesses and social enterprises
  • Building community planning capacity and leadership to shape neighborhood development

Check out this two-minute video from Grounded Solutions which explains CLTs.