Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) works to ensure that low and moderate income individuals can find and maintain quality homes in central New York. To do so, the nonprofit builds new LEED-certified green homes, rehabilitates old properties, provides low-interest loans to first-time homebuyers, manages affordable rental units, and offers home repair services. In 2017, the nonprofit developed 184 for-sale and 456 rental units, completed 7,893 small home repairs, and provided down payment assistance to 990 people. To ensure some of its housing remains permanently affordable, INHS established a community land trust (its Community Housing Trust initiative), which has built 44 green homes and is currently developing nine new properties.
A historical legacy of displacement and exclusion, firmly rooted in racism and discriminatory public policy, has fundamentally restricted access to land and housing and shaped ownership dynamics, particularly for people of color and low-income communities. Today, many communities across the country are facing new threats of instability, unaffordability, disempowerment, and displacement due to various economic, demographic, and cultural changes that are putting increased pressure on land and housing resources.
The San Diego Community Land Trust aims to create and preserve affordable ownership opportunities for San Diego County families. The nonprofit is currently planning its first two projects: 1) Northside Commons, which will include 9 three-bedroom, single family homes; and, 2) Nestor, which will include 16 three and four-bedroom, single family homes.
Established in 2011, the 24:1 Community Land Trust aims to help people purchase homes in a thriving, supportive community. To do so, the CLT builds and renovates homes in the Normandy School District and retains ownership of the land to ensure the housing remains affordable. To support residents, all homeowners have access to health, educational, and related services provided by Beyond Housing. To date, the CLT is credited with spurring over $100 million in economic development, including new homes, a bank, a grocery store, and a cinema. In 2016, the CLT completed several commercial projects, including the Red Dough Money Center (providing an affordable alternative to payday loan services) and the Excel Center (offering financial empowerment services). The CLT is now developing a $5.8 million project that will include 41 new homes.
