What is a

Community

Land Trust

A community land trust is a non-profit corporation that owns land in the name of citizens for the purposes of leasing it back to social-purpose organizations and individuals to help meet needs that have been prioritized by the community.

community together
Rising costs

Land trusts are one way to combat the rapid increase of housing and land prices. CLT’s redefine the meaning of land ownership to prioritize a sense of responsibility to the needs and values of the surrounding communities.

CLT’s are dependant on various sources of public and philanthropic capital to acquire real estate (land and buildings) in a geographic zone. These include:

  • Private donors
  • Government housing subsidies
  • City-owned property
  • Community foundations
  • Anchor institutions
land
homes

The land trust retains ownership of the land and leases it on a stable, long-term basis to end-users:

  • Home-owners
  • Housing providers
  • Community groups
  • Non-profits and social enterprises

The land trust acts as a facilitator, working closely with public, private and non-profit partners to carry out:

  • Real estate development
  • Building construction and rehabilitation
  • Property management
  • Homeownership support
  • Management of parkland and community gardens
construction
affordability

The CLT model locks in affordability by removing the cost of land from the equation. The CLT holds the land forever, ensuring that increases in land value that result from revitalisation efforts are retained by the community, rather than being captured by speculators. When an owner of buildings on CLT land sells their property, they sell at an agreed-upon price that balances their need for a reasonable return on investment with the community’s need to preserve affordability.

BE A PART OF THE LAND TRUST COMMUNITY

DONATE

The generosity of HCLT donors is what allows us to continue building a strong more inclusive community

VOLUNTEER

The Hamilton Community Land Trust will not be able to succeed without the valuable help of volunteers

PARTNER

Community Land Trusts rely on partnerships with organizations and businesses to successfully carry out their work

Donate

Donations are accepted through our charitable partner the Social Planning and Research Centre (SPRC).

Enter HCLT or Hamilton Community Land Trust under “Indicate Program Allocation” on the confirmation page.