The City–CLT Partnership - Municipal Support for Community Land Trusts - Policy Focus Report Series

Sep 14, 2026

The report examines why community land trusts (CLTs) are expanding quickly and how municipal governments can support them through targeted policies and investments. It addresses two central policy needs: long-term preservation of subsidies and durable stewardship of housing affordability. Using research findings, case studies, and guidance, it provides practical direction for local officials on funding and structuring CLT startups, projects, and ongoing operations to sustain permanently affordable homeownership.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages44

Reading Time1 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Chapter 1: Introducing the CLT

Chapter 2: Supporting CLT Startups

Chapter 3: Building the CLT Portfolio

Chapter 4: Sustaining CLT Operations

Chapter 5: Taxing CLT Property

Chapter 6: Regulating CLT Activities

Chapter 7: Trends in City–CLT Partnerships

References & Resources

Acknowledgments

The City–CLT Partnership Municipal Support for Community Land Trusts J o h n E m m E u s D a v i s a n D R i c k J a c o b u s Policy Focus Report • Lincoln Institute of Land Policy The City–CLT Partnership Municipal Support for Community Land Trusts Policy Focus Report Series The policy focus report series is published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to address timely public policy issues relating to land use, land markets, and property taxation. Each report is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice by combining research findings, case studies, and contributions from scholars in a variety of academic disciplines, and from professional practitioners, local officials, and citizens in diverse communities. About this Report While community land trusts (CLTs) have existed since the 1980s, their numbers started to increase rapidly over the last 10 years as local governments contributed their support. Among other accomplishments, these public–private partnerships have helped to expand the nation’s stock of permanently affordable homeownership housing. This report is intended to provide guidance to local officials about the most effective ways to invest in CLT startups, projects, and operations to achieve this end. About the Authors John Emmeus Davis was one of the co-founders of Burlington Associates in Community Development in 1993. He previously served as the housing director and enterprise community coordinator for the City of Burlington, Vermont. He has worked as a community organizer and nonprofit executive director in East Tennessee and as a technical assistance provider for community land trustsand other nonprofit community development organizations throughout the United States. Davis has taught housing policy and neighborhood planning at New Hampshire College, the University of Vermont, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a visiting fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in 2007–2009. Rick Jacobus has 15 years of experience in housing and community development, including asa senior program officer for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and as director of neighborhood economic development for the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation in Oakland, California. He joined Burlington Associates in Community Development as a partner in 2004, assisting in the development of community land trusts and inclusionary housing programs on the West Coast. Jacobus has served as a lecturer in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California at Berkeley. He is a visiting fellow at the Lincoln Institute in 2008–2009. Copyright ©2008 by Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. All rights reserved. 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-3400, USA [www.lincolninst.edu](www.lincolninst.edu) [ISBN 978-1-55844-181-1](ISBN 978-1-55844-181-1) Policy Focus Report/Code PF017 O N T h E COv E R Resale-restricted homes at Arbolera de vida are part of a planned community developed by the Sawmill Community Land Trust, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Contents 2 Executive Summary 4 Chapter 1: Introducing the CLT 10 Chapter 2: Supporting CLT Startups 15 Chapter 3: Building the CLT Portfolio 19 Chapter 4: Sustaining CLT Operations 23 Chapter 5: Taxing CLT Property 28 Chapter 6: Regulating CLT Activities 33 Chapter 7: Trends in City–CLT Partnerships 39 References & Resources 40 Acknowledgments Cities, Counties, and Towns Cited in this Report Albany, New York Albuquerque, New Mexico Bellingham, Washington Boston, Massachusetts Boulder/Boulder County, Colorado Burlington, Vermont Chapel Hill/Orange County, North Carolina Chicago, Illinois Cincinnati, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Delray Beach, Florida Duluth, Minnesota Durham, North Carolina Flagstaff, Arizona Gloucester, Massachusetts Highland Park/Moraine Township, Illinois Irvine, California Lawrence, Kansas Los Angeles County, California Madison, Wisconsin Minneapolis/

FAQs

What role do CLTs play in sustaining affordability?

CLT ownership of land and durable affordability controls help keep municipally subsidized homes available for lower-income buyers for generations. CLTs can also manage long-term monitoring and enforcement that local governments may not be equipped or motivated to handle.

Sep 14, 2026

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