Community Land Trusts

Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are a proven strategy to secure permanent housing, protect land from speculation, and build equity in local communities. We plan to establish CLTs across the region, beginning with parcels in the Brewer Hill neighborhood.

What is a CLT?

A CLT is a nonprofit organization that acquires and holds land in trust for the benefit of the community. The land is never sold — it’s deed-locked and community-stewarded. Homes on the land can be bought and sold, but always at a restricted price that keeps them permanently affordable.

Why Now?

• Housing costs in NM are up 34% in the last five years.
• Over 40% of renters in Grant County are cost-burdened.
• CLTs in cities like Cleveland, Burlington, and Albuquerque have helped hundreds of families stay housed long-term.

What Will Ours Do?

We aim to:

• Acquire properties through city partnerships, land donations, and grant funding
• Renovate or construct sustainable, efficient housing using local union labor
• Steward the land democratically, with decisions made by residents and local stakeholders
• Lock in affordability permanently — no reselling to speculators
• Create construction, maintenance, and administrative jobs tied directly to community needs

Funding & Timeline

We’re pursuing funding from the NM Housing Trust Fund, USDA Rural Housing Service, and direct municipal allocations. Our goal is to secure land and establish the first trust by Q2 2026.

• Phase 1 (2025–2026): Secure first parcels, establish legal trust, begin development
• Phase 2 (2027–2029): Expand into adjacent neighborhoods and rural lots
• Phase 3 (2030+): Integrate with regional land cooperatives and stewardship councils

Goals

• Keep land out of speculative markets — permanently
• Offer stable homes to working families, students, and elders
• Build neighborhood resilience, not displacement
• Ensure land is governed locally, not by absentee investors