The Need for Affirmative Legislation Supporting Community Land Trusts in Washington, D.C. - Policy Recommendations for Housing Affordability

Sep 15, 2026

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Housing in Washington, D.C. has become increasingly unaffordable as wage growth fails to keep pace with rising costs, forcing households to devote a larger share of income to basic shelter. At the same time, many vacant properties remain unused, limiting housing supply and worsening affordability pressures. The article explains why converting vacant land to productive, long-term affordability requires affordability “in perpetuity.” It presents the community land trust (CLT) model, highlights the Douglass CLT, and urges D.C. Council legislation with recommended policy provisions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Articles

The Need for Affirmative Legislation Supporting Community Land Trusts in Washington, D.C.

Abstract

I. Introduction

II. Housing in D.C.

A. Affordability

B. Vacant Properties

III. Community Land Trusts

A. The Mechanics of CLTs

B. The Benefits of CLTs

C. Douglass Community Land Trust

IV. Affirmative Support for Community Land Trusts

A. Recognition and Dedicated Funding

B. Mechanisms for Acquiring Land

C. Additional Considerations

V. Conclusion

Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy Volume XXX, Number 1, Fall 2022 ARTICLES The Need for Affirmative Legislation Supporting Community Land Trusts in Washington, D.C. Amelia G. Collins * ABSTRACT Housing has become increasingly unaffordable, especially in cities like Washington, D. C. Wage growth has not kept up, meaning that more households must spend a larger portion of their income to keep a roof over their heads. Government programs addressing affordable housing are innumerous, yet many individuals still face housing costs that are too high. At the same time, cities are plagued by thousands of vacant properties. Moving vacant properties back onto the residential market could help increase the housing stock and alleviate pressure on housing costs. However, to truly address the affordable housing crisis, vacant properties put back to productive use should be affordable in perpetuity. One type of entity, a community land trust (CLT), can facilitate that very thing. This paper explores the housing affordability crisis and the vacant property landscape in D. C. It then describes the CLT model, focusing particularly on a relatively new community land trust in D. C., the Douglass Community Land Trust. Finally, this paper urges the D. C. Council to pass legislation supporting CLTs in D. C. and includes recommended policy provisions. I. INTRODUCTION ............................................. 2 II. HOUSING IN D.C............................................ 5 A. Affordability ........................................... 5 B. Vacant Properties ....................................... 7 III. COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS ................................... 9 A. The Mechanics of CLTs ................................... 9 B. The Benefits of CLTs ..................................... 10 C. Douglass Community Land Trust............................ 13 * J.D., 2021, University of Richmond School of Law; member of the District of Columbia Bar.© 2022, Amelia Collins. 2 The Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy [Vol. XXX IV. AFFIRMATIVE SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS ............. 15 A. Recognition and Dedicated Funding ........................ 15 B. Mechanisms for Acquiring Land ........................... 17 C. Additional Considerations................................ 19 V. CONCLUSION ............................................. 20 I. INTRODUCTION “We keep talking about a housing crisis—is it a crisis if it’s been in this state for the last hundred years? I don’t think it’s a crisis. I think this is housing under capitalism. It’s insecure, it’s unstable, it’s every person for themselves.” Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Leon Forrest Professor of African American Studies at Northwestern University1 “Housing has lost its social function and is seen instead as a vehicle for wealth and asset growth. It has become a financial commodity, robbed of its connection to community, dignity and the idea of home.” Leilani Farha, former UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing2 There’s a property in Washington, D.C. that has been mostly vacant for over a decade. In that time, the owner has applied for at least fifteen building permits, though nothing appears to have changed.3 The owner owes over $143,000 in property taxes.4 The boarded-up home sits on a large corner lot, at the intersection of C Street and 10th Street, Northeast—in the heart of Capitol Hill.5 The notorious property has its own Twitter account—@1000CstNE—run, purportedly, by the house itself.6 The account chronicles the saga of permit applications and approvals, a stop work order, and the flip-flopping of the house’s designation from 1. Nawal Arjini, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Says There is No Housing Crisis: ‘It’s Just Housing Under Capitalism,’ THE NATION (Sept. 24, 2019) [https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/keeanga](https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/keeanga)yamahtta-taylor-race-profit/ . 2. Press Release, Office o

FAQs

What does the paper recommend for the District of Columbia Council?

The paper urges the D.C. Council to pass legislation supporting CLTs. It includes recommended policy provisions, including recognition and dedicated funding, mechanisms for acquiring land, and additional considerations.

Sep 15, 2026

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