Community Land Trust

The Community Land Trust model was born out of the civil rights movement when sharecroppers in Georgia wanted the right to vote but couldn’t vote without owning land. They pooled their resources and collectively purchased a working farm and, in doing so, started the first Community Land Trust. Since Community Land Trusts have developed across the Pacific Northwest and the nation and while their community needs are diverse, they all use a similar model. Homeowners own their home outright by leveraging a traditional mortgage; the Community Land Trust owns the land under the house and leases it back to the homeowner through a 99 year renewable land lease. The lease ensures that the home resells to another income-qualified homebuyer if the homeowners sell. The original homeowner receives a fair return on their initial investment while helping future generations access affordable homes as they did.