Land banks and community land trusts are finding new ways to work together in light of the ongoing housing affordability crisis and the new economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emma Zehner reports on the latest collaborations between community land trusts and land banks to address systemic racism and expand affordable housing opportunities.
The first example examined in the article: the New Home Development Program (NHDP), a collaboration of the city of Houston, the Houston Land Bank, and the Houston Community Land Trust (HCLT).
"Launched in 2018, NHDP was created to provide newly constructed, affordable single-family homes to homebuyers with a household income of 80 percent or less of area median income (AMI)," according to Zehner. "The program is working to address systemic racial disparities and discriminatory practices that have shut Black people and other people of color out of homeownership opportunities."
The Houston model is found in other cities around the country, like Portland and Atlanta, coalescing in the 36-month Catalytic Land Cohort, a program run by the Grounded Solutions Network and the Center for Community Progress, with initial funding from Wells Fargo.
Zehner offers insight into what makes these recent collaborations so innovative: "Land banks and community land trusts haven’t historically coordinated their work: land banks typically purchase properties in weak markets with the goal of bringing them back to productive use, while community land trusts have focused on ensuring affordability in hot markets. But by joining together, these entities can serve as an important tool in expanding homeownership opportunities."
The article also includes a history of community land trusts in addition to deeply reported partnership case studies from Albany, New York, and Richmond, Virginia, in addition to the New Home Development Program in Houston and examples from Atlanta and Portland.
As for next steps for the Catalytic Land Cohort, Zehner reports that the collaboration is seeking funding support to scale the model up to the regional level.
FULL STORY: Opening Doors
The Power of Community Land Trusts
A New York Times article explains and, potentially, introduces the community land trust concept, which has proven immensely capable of preventing displacement and foreclosures while advancing homeownership and racial equity.
How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform
The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.
A Look Inside the Houston Land Bank
The nonprofit has built over 300 homes in the last five years.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research