Finding sustainable solutions for long-term affordable housing presents a significant challenge across the United States. At Homeward Bound Villages, we’ve embraced the Community Land Trust model as the cornerstone of our approach to creating permanently affordable housing at Karwick Village, our first cooperative community.
What Is a Community Land Trust?
A Community Land Trust is an innovative land ownership model that separates land ownership from the ownership of the buildings that sit upon it. In our case, our organization uses a community land trust-like structure of ownership to employ the following benefits for our residents:
- Maintains permanent ownership of the land and units at Karwick Village.
- Allows buildings to be used by residents through renewable leases.
- Implements restrictions that ensure our rental units remain forever affordable.
This structure protects the affordability of our units at Karwick Village, keeping them affordable for the long term.
How Our Community Land Trust Works
Our community land trust model creates a unique arrangement that benefits both our residents and the broader community:
- Land Stewardship: We permanently hold the land in trust for the community, removing it from the speculative real estate market.
- Rental Units: We retain ownership of the rental units built on this land, which allows us to maintain quality housing while keeping rents affordable.
- Legal Safeguards: We ensure that the land can never be sold for profit and that housing will remain affordable in perpetuity.
- Community Governance: While we maintain ownership, decisions about land use incorporate resident input through our cooperative community structure.
Why Community Land Trusts Matter
Traditional affordable housing solutions often face a critical weakness: time limits. Many affordable housing programs expire after an extended period of time, at which point housing can revert to market rates, displacing residents and undermining community stability.
Our Community Land Trust model addresses this fundamental flaw by:
- Creating Permanence: Unlike tax credit properties or other temporary solutions, our affordability protections never expire.
- Building Community Assets: The land held in trust becomes a permanent community asset that appreciates over time while remaining accessible to those who need affordable housing.
- Preventing Displacement: Long-term residents can remain in their communities without fear of being priced out by market fluctuations or gentrification.
- Stabilizing Neighborhoods: By ensuring long-term affordability, CLTs help maintain diverse, economically integrated communities.
Community Land Trusts and Cooperative Communities: A Powerful Combination
Our project uniquely combines the CLT model with a cooperative community approach. This powerful combination means:
- Our Karwick Village rental units remain protected and remain forever affordable for residents.
- The community has a meaningful voice through the cooperative governance model
- Residents gain the stability of knowing their housing will remain affordable
- The community builds collective power while preserving individual autonomy
This dual approach creates a foundation for genuinely sustainable, affordable housing that can withstand market pressures for generations to come.
The Long-Term Vision
By engaging in a Community Land Trust-like approach for Karwick Village, we’re making a promise to current and future generations in La Porte County
- Housing that remains affordable not just for years but for decades and generations
- Community spaces that cannot be sold to the highest bidder
- A legacy of stability in a world of increasing housing insecurity
We believe that housing is a fundamental right, not merely a commodity. Our Community Land Trust model puts this belief into practice by creating a system where land is held for community benefit rather than private gain. This approach allows us to live our mission of creating community through affordable housing.
Join Our Community Land Trust Movement
Our unique approach to a community land trust model at Karwick Villages reimagines how land and housing can work for communities rather than against them.
By restricting the sale of land and preserving the long-term affordability of our rental units, we’re building a future where stable, affordable housing isn’t just a temporary solution but a permanent reality for the LaPorte County community.
