Urban Community Land Trust in Europe - Towards a Transnational Movement - Housing Affordability Crisis Response Guide

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret

Urban Community Land Trust in Europe examines how Community Land Trusts (CLTs) can address the housing affordability crisis afflicting dense European cities. It explains crisis causes and impacts, including housing market financialisation and its effects on social cohesion. The guide presents CLT principles and governance mechanisms, outlines transnational program results, and describes remaining challenges in building a European CLT movement. It also provides country profiles across multiple European regions and practical resources for further action.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time2 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Community Land Trusts: a response to the housing affordability crisis in European cities

The SHICC Programme (2017-2021): transnational action results

What remains to be done: the challenges of developing a European CLT movement

Overview of CLT Development in Europe

Dissemination and adaptation of the CLT model

What brings us together

Country Profiles

England and Wales (United Kingdom)

Scotland (United Kingdom)

Ireland (Republic of)

Belgium (Brussels Capital Region-BCR, Wallonia and Flanders)

France

Netherlands

Germany

Switzerland

Spain

Italy

Central and South-East Europe

Useful Resources

S U S T A I N A B L E H O U S I N G F O R I N C L U S I V E A N D C O H E S I V E C I T I E S URBAN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN EUROPE TOWARDS A TRANSNATIONAL MOVEMENT © A rc- -en ciel p roject, CLT Brussels, 2020 URBAN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN EUROPE B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y W I T H T H E S U P P O R T O F Table of content Table of content 1. Introduction .............................................................................. 4 Community Land Trusts: a response to the housing affordability crisis in European cities ................................................................................. 4 The SHICC Programme (2017-2021): transnational action results ............................... 8 What remains to be done: the challenges of developing a European C LT movement ............................................................................11 2. Overview of CLT Development in Europe ...................... 13 Dissemination and adaptation of the C LT model ................................................... 13 What brings us together .............................................................................. 16 3. Country Profiles ...................................................................... 20 England and Wales (United Kingdom) ............................................................... 21 Scotland (United Kingdom) ........................................................................... 24 Ireland (Republic of) .................................................................................. 26 Belgium (Brussels Capital Region-BCR, Wallonia and Flanders) ............................... 28 France ................................................................................................... 32 Netherlands ............................................................................................ 34 Germany ................................................................................................ 36 The dynamics at work in the rest of europe Switzerland ............................................................................................. 38 Spain .................................................................................................... 39 Italy ..................................................................................................... 42 Central and South-East Europe ...................................................................... 43 4. Useful Resources ................................................................... 45 Introduction 1. Introduction Community Land Trusts: a response to the housing affordability crisis in European cities The current housing crisis: its causes and effects Since the 2000s, a continuous deterioration of housing prices has been observed in Europe, especially in dense urban centres. In some places housing prices have increased by 30 to 50% over the past decade1 . Because this crisis strikes atthe roots of economic and spatial inequalities, it threatens the social cohesion of our cities. For the most fragile households, it can lead to degradation in living conditions, in economic opportunities and ultimately in freedom. The situation can be explained by structural changes in the housing market. In particular, the housing sector has been subject to financialisation, through which financial markets playa growing role in transforming housing into profitable commodities at the expense of its social purpose. Community Land Trusts (CLT) is determined to work for a change in the paradigm of the unquestionability of individual land and property ownership. Indeed, the C LT model, inspired by the US Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, advocates for a change in the established property rights systems and for collective owner-ship of land. Diagram representing the 3 founding principles of the CLT model (Source: John Davis, 2018) Community (mode

FAQs

What problem does the document focus on?

It focuses on the housing affordability crisis in European cities, where deterioration in housing prices and financialisation undermine social cohesion and living conditions.

What are the core founding principles of Community Land Trusts (CLTs)?

CLTs are non-profit, democratic, community-led organisations with three founding principles: community governance, collective land ownership, and long-term economic mechanisms that preserve affordability.

How does the document structure its guidance for readers?

It presents an introduction to CLTs and the SHICC programme results, outlines the development of CLTs in Europe, then provides country profiles and useful resources.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret