Year in Review

As the new year sets in, it’s important to look back on what was a very crucial year for the Hamilton Community Land Trust (HamiltonCLT).

With real estate values and rents rising around us, 2015 brought a new sense of urgency to our work. Fortunately, the year also brought increased capacity and resources to our growing organization. We will continue to build on our successes in the new year.

2015 Highlight: Trillium Grant

In April of 2015 we were thrilled to earn a one-year capacity-building grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which allowed us to achieve a tremendous amount of work over the past 9 months. The grant will also support our upcoming community workshops and stakeholder engagement to continue the development of a five-year action plan. With the grant due to end in spring of 2016, we are continuing to look for sources of funding to allow us to grow with the goal of developing our first project on community-owned land.

Board Expansion

In November 2015 we expanded our board of directors, adding the expertise of Nick But, Benjamin Zarate, and Ron Collier. We will continue to recruit passionate directors with key skills in early 2016.

Community Outreach

Community outreach continued in 2015 with participation at 100in1Day, the Beasley Fair, Barton Village Festival, and Open Streets. Gratefully, we were welcomed to speak with a number of groups including the Crown Point Planning Team, Sherman Hub, the Gibson-Lansdale Planning Team, the Hamilton Downtown Mosque, and the Housing and Homelessness Planning Group.

National Housing Day

National Housing Day was November 20, 2015 and the theme of this year’s Hamilton-based event was gentrification. HamiltonCLT had a public presence at the event along with several other prominent Hamilton institutions, including the SPRC, CHMC, the City of Hamilton, and the Hamilton Realtors’ Association.

Advisory Council

The HamiltonCLT has recently created an expert Advisory Council. Beginning in 2016 the Council will meet once a year and provide advice to the board and senior staff on an ongoing basis.

Community-Owned Land Workshops

(January 6th, 7th, 12th, 16th, 21st)

We are pleased to be hosting a series of workshops over the month of January (click here for details). We encourage members of the public to register for your choice of workshop by e-mailing allison@hamiltonclt.org

 Want to Get Involved?

Join the Board

We are welcoming applications to our volunteer board, especially interested candidates with expertise in non-profit property development, financial management, and real estate/corporate law. E-mail: allison@hamiltonclt.org for more information.

Volunteer

The Hamilton Community Land Trust succeeds only with the valuable help of volunteers. At this time we are looking for volunteers who can help with:

• Planning workshops and organizing the community
• Delivering presentations, attending events, and spreading the word
• Lending professional services, especially legal, graphic design, web design, planning and property development
• Conducting research and finding answers
• Being an Advisor/providing advice in an advisory role

If you are interested in volunteering to help with the Community Land Trust project, please contact the HamiltonCLT Coordinator Allison Maxted via email: allison@hamiltonclt.org to find out how you can contribute.

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who made 2015 a successful year for the HamiltonCLT: in particular, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton, our growing list of supporters, and the many individuals who lent time, resources and services to our initiative. We are looking ahead to a very exciting 2016 thanks to your efforts and belief in our mission.