What is a Community Land Trust
and why do we need one?
A Community Land Trust or CLT is a non-profit, community based organisation that works to develop and steward affordable housing, community gardens, civic buildings, commercial spaces and other community assets on behalf of a community. All assets are put to use by the community for the community. CLTs balance the needs of individuals to access land and maintain security of tenure with a community’s need to maintain affordability, economic vibrancy and diversity, and local access to essential services. As a result CLTs can help to improve opportunities, increase jobs and affordable homes and do all this within a strong ethical framework based on no individuals or groups taking profits, respect and safety for all those involved and a strong sense of human well-being and ecological integrity.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary people to acquire access to homes, buildings and land in order to live, work and play. We have a new generation who are effectively disenfranchised from ever owning their own home, and our common heritage of both urban and rural space is being sold off to the highest bidder. We believe that having access to land and a home is, or should be, a fundamental human right. One way forward in redressing this imbalance is to strive hard to create a community based organisational focus for property acquisition that can take on assets such as land and buildings, raise cash to make this possible and put ordinary people at the centre of an active process of shaping and building thriving, inclusive, sustainable and fair communities that meet the needs of all
and why do we need one?
A Community Land Trust or CLT is a non-profit, community based organisation that works to develop and steward affordable housing, community gardens, civic buildings, commercial spaces and other community assets on behalf of a community. All assets are put to use by the community for the community. CLTs balance the needs of individuals to access land and maintain security of tenure with a community’s need to maintain affordability, economic vibrancy and diversity, and local access to essential services. As a result CLTs can help to improve opportunities, increase jobs and affordable homes and do all this within a strong ethical framework based on no individuals or groups taking profits, respect and safety for all those involved and a strong sense of human well-being and ecological integrity.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary people to acquire access to homes, buildings and land in order to live, work and play. We have a new generation who are effectively disenfranchised from ever owning their own home, and our common heritage of both urban and rural space is being sold off to the highest bidder. We believe that having access to land and a home is, or should be, a fundamental human right. One way forward in redressing this imbalance is to strive hard to create a community based organisational focus for property acquisition that can take on assets such as land and buildings, raise cash to make this possible and put ordinary people at the centre of an active process of shaping and building thriving, inclusive, sustainable and fair communities that meet the needs of all