Affordable Housing Alternatives: Analysis of Community Land Trusts

Mentor: Ann Ziebarth, PhDHousing affordability continues to be a dramatic problem in the United States. As of June 2010 1.6 million homes nationwide (one of every 78 units) were in foreclosure. Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are organizations created to hold land for the benefit of the community and individuals within the community. The Institute for Community Economics (ICE) published The Community Land Trust Handbook in 1982 as a model by which CLTs might operate. This model can be used to evaluate the success of CLTs in providing perpetually affordable housing for their community. In order to better understand the affordability potential of CLTs I conducted an extensive literature review of CLTs, specifically two case study organizations serving urban communities in the Midwest. I interviewed the executive director of each organization to gain a more specific understanding of the business operations and organization of the CLT. I utilized interview responses and findings from literature reviews to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods of organizing and operating CLTs. Using this assessment I compiled a series of recommendations for all CLTs to use as a guide to improving the organization’s ability to provide affordable housing for the community.This research was supported by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)