What is a community land trust (CLT)?

*PHOTO: MCLT board members touring a CLT neighborhood in Bend, OR.

Leveraging the land trust model to rebuild the McKenzie River community!

Community land trusts (CLTs) are nonprofit, community-based organizations designed to ensure community stewardship of land. Community land trusts can be used for many types of development (including commercial and retail), but are primarily used to ensure long-term housing affordability.

The CLT acquires land and maintains ownership of it permanently. With prospective homeowners, it enters into a long-term, renewable lease for the land instead of a traditional sale. The homeowner purchases and owns the vertical house structure. When the homeowner sells, the family earns a portion of the increased property value. The remainder is kept by the CLT, preserving the affordability for future families and maintaining common areas.

The length of the lease (most frequently, 99 years) and the percentage earned by the homeowner vary. Ultimately, by separating the ownership of land and housing, this innovative approach prevents market factors from causing prices to rise significantly, and hence guarantees that housing will remain affordable for future generations.   

The CLT model can also be used for other community benefit projects like commercial space, parks and community gardens. 

With the McKenzie Valley being an unincorporated area, the McKenzie CLT board can serve as a local decision making body made up of community representatives.

For more information about community land trusts in the northwest visit: 

• Rooted Homes: Housing land trust based in Bend, OR (formerly Kor Community Land Trust)

• Proud Ground: The largest community land trust in the northwest, based in Portland, OR.

• Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition: NCLT supports and enhances the activities of the community land trusts (CLTs) based in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana.    

• Methow Housing Trust:  Housing land trust serving a wildfire impacted community - based in Winthrop, WA.

• Grounded Solutions Network:  Works nationally to help connect and support affordable housing options.

• DevNW Our development partner for our first affordable housing project.