| Variations on the "Classic" Model
Until quite recently, most CLT’s adhered substantially to the classic model described above. With the growing challenges of providing affordable housing, creative minds are bending and stretching the established CLT model to best address the unique needs of different communities and new development challenges.
Community Land Trusts historically have developed as neighborhood-based initiatives. Increasingly, there is a move for CLT’s to serve larger geographic areas - entire cities, counties and multi-county regions. Recent disruption in the economic/housing market has made the CLT model advantageous to larger regions such as municipalities and Counties. The CLT can act a vehicle to help municipalities implement their housing and community development policies. This response to the disruption in the economic climate could partially explain the dramatic increase in the number of CLT’s in the past decade. The following article nicely outlines the differences and pros & cons of operating CLT’s at various scales.
See “Key Features of the 'Classic' CLT ” by Michael Brown August 1, 2005- at http://www.burlingtonassociates.com/resources/archives/clt_101/000058.html
Municipalities benefit greatly from supporting Community Land Trusts because the CLT often has a combination of skills in neighborhood organizing, community development, and finance packaging. The CLT is well-suited to undertake projects in the least desirable and often highly distressed neighborhoods. With the land trust philosophy of long-term stewardship and affordability, neighborhood stabilization is a more likely result. CLT models are particularly appropriate for developing affordable home-ownership opportunities in high cost areas such as resort communities.
Another way that CLT’s are changing is in how they are structured and sponsored. As described above, CLT’s have traditionally been stand-alone, community-based non-profit organizations. Increasingly, CLT’s are forming as subsidiaries, spin-offs or programs of existing housing or social service organizations, or even sponsored by government entities. For a fuller exploration of the multitude of organizational structures for CLT’s, see the following:
http://www.burlingtonassociates.com/resources/
archives/creating_a_community_land_trust/000024.html
READINGS:
“Sharing the Wealth of the Commons” by Peter Barnes. Dollars & Sense
November/December 2004 (Issue #256).
“Roots of the Community Land Trust Movement” by Vicki Lindsay, 2001.
“The Community Land Trust Handbook” Institute for Community Economics,
1982, Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA.
“The Community Land Trust: A Guide to a New Model for Land Tenure In
America” by Swann, Gottschalk, Hansch & Webster. 1972. http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/publications/people_land_community.html |
