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| clts:community_land_trusts [2026/03/10 12:37] – external edit 127.0.0.1 | clts:community_land_trusts [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| # Community land trusts | This topic is part of [[gt:community|Community & culture]] and [[gt:economy|Economy & finance]]. |
| | ====== Community land trusts ====== |
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| | ===== What are community land trusts? ===== |
| ## What are community land trusts? | |
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| Community land trusts (CLTs) are local, not-for-profit organisations that steward land and property democratically for their local community. They’re set up and run by volunteers to own and manage housing and other local assets (like pubs, green spaces, community centres, shops or workplaces) for the benefit of the community. Those benefits include affordable housing and essential services, and they are legally protected in perpetuity. | Community land trusts (CLTs) are local, not-for-profit organisations that steward land and property democratically for their local community. They’re set up and run by volunteers to own and manage housing and other local assets (like pubs, green spaces, community centres, shops or workplaces) for the benefit of the community. Those benefits include affordable housing and essential services, and they are legally protected in perpetuity. |
| **History** | **History** |
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| The thread of inspiration for CLTs is fascinating. The roots lie in the [c](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneers)[o-operative movement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneers) in the UK in the 19th century. Their ideas influenced [Ebenezer Howard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Howard) and his garden cities in the early 20th century, which were intended to be ‘co-operative land societies’ with any surplus ploughed back into civil facilities and affordable housing, although it didn’t turn out that way. This influenced the Gandhian [Bhoodan-Gramdan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhoodan_movement) movement in India in the 1950s, that gifted over 1 million acres to be held in trust for landless peasants. This in turn inspired Martin Luther King, and the first official CLTs emerged from the civil rights movement - like [New Communities Inc.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Communities), formed in 1969 in rural Georgia for African American ex-[sharecroppers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharecropping). The first urban CLT was set up in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1981, and CLTs started to take off in the US in the 1990s. | The thread of inspiration for CLTs is fascinating. The roots lie in the [co-operative movement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneers) in the UK in the 19th century. Their ideas influenced [Ebenezer Howard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Howard) and his garden cities in the early 20th century, which were intended to be ‘co-operative land societies’ with any surplus ploughed back into civil facilities and affordable housing, although it didn’t turn out that way. This influenced the Gandhian [Bhoodan-Gramdan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhoodan_movement) movement in India in the 1950s, that gifted over 1 million acres to be held in trust for landless peasants. This in turn inspired Martin Luther King, and the first official CLTs emerged from the civil rights movement - like [New Communities Inc.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Communities), formed in 1969 in rural Georgia for African American ex-[sharecroppers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharecropping). The first urban CLT was set up in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1981, and CLTs started to take off in the US in the 1990s. |
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| Inspired by the success of CLTs in the States, pilot projects were run in the UK at the beginning of the 21st century. The [National CLT Network](http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/) was launched in 2010 to promote and support CLTs across the country. Now there are hundreds of CLTs in both the US and UK, and movements have begun in other countries too – notably Australia, Belgium, France and Italy, as well as individual projects in Africa and Latin America. | Inspired by the success of CLTs in the States, pilot projects were run in the UK at the beginning of the 21st century. The [National CLT Network](http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/) was launched in 2010 to promote and support CLTs across the country. Now there are hundreds of CLTs in both the US and UK, and movements have begun in other countries too – notably Australia, Belgium, France and Italy, as well as individual projects in Africa and Latin America. |
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| ## What are the benefits of community land trusts? | ===== What are the benefits of community land trusts? ===== |
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| CLTs can help stem the tide of insanely spiralling land and property prices, by keeping housing affordable. So many young people find it impossible to buy a home, can’t afford private rents, and therefore find it difficult to stay in live in communities in which they grew up. Meanwhile more and more houses are being used for speculation and second/holiday homes. Added to this, population is rising faster than homes are being built, and a lot of people are becoming homeless or living in very poor conditions. | CLTs can help stem the tide of insanely spiralling land and property prices, by keeping housing affordable. So many young people find it impossible to buy a home, can’t afford private rents, and therefore find it difficult to stay in live in communities in which they grew up. Meanwhile more and more houses are being used for speculation and second/holiday homes. Added to this, population is rising faster than homes are being built, and a lot of people are becoming homeless or living in very poor conditions. |
| CLTs tend to work with small, local building companies rather than huge developers (so that money stays within the community), and they take land off the market forever, so that it is no longer used as a speculative tool for private profit, but for homes and strong, vibrant communities. We think that these are good things. | CLTs tend to work with small, local building companies rather than huge developers (so that money stays within the community), and they take land off the market forever, so that it is no longer used as a speculative tool for private profit, but for homes and strong, vibrant communities. We think that these are good things. |
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| ### Potential downsides | ==== Potential downsides ==== |
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| Compared to the [commons](/coec/commons_economy), CLTs may be less able to challenge the status quo, for the following reasons: | Compared to the [commons](/coec/commons_economy), CLTs may be less able to challenge the status quo, for the following reasons: |
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| ## What can I do? | ===== What can I do? ===== |
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| [Join the CLT Network](http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/about-the-network/our-campaigns/get-involved) and support them in their campaigns - for example to [exempt CLTs from right-to-buy legislation](http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/about-the-network/our-campaigns/the-right-to-buy) (which would make it impossible for CLTs to keep housing affordable in perpetuity). The CLT Network has a [listing](http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/get-involved/find-a-clt) of UK CLTs on its site, as well as some that have open days and events. | [Join the CLT Network](http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/about-the-network/our-campaigns/get-involved) and support them in their campaigns - for example to [exempt CLTs from right-to-buy legislation](http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/about-the-network/our-campaigns/the-right-to-buy) (which would make it impossible for CLTs to keep housing affordable in perpetuity). The CLT Network has a [listing](http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/get-involved/find-a-clt) of UK CLTs on its site, as well as some that have open days and events. |
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| ## Further resources | ===== Forum ===== |
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| | This topic belongs to the section [[gt:community|Community & culture]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/community). |
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| | It is also in the section [[gt:economy|Economy & finance]] (Forum: [Economy & finance](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/economy)). |
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| | ===== Further resources ===== |
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| - [Community Land Trust Network UK](https://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/) | - [Community Land Trust Network UK](https://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/) |
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| ## Related topics | ===== Related topics ===== |
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| | - [Commons economy](coec:commons_economy) |
| | - [Building societies](bsoc:building_societies) |
| | - [Community](comy:community) |
| | - [Commoning](comg:commoning) |
| | - [Co-operatives](coop:co-operatives) |
| | - [Housing co-ops](hcoo:housing_co-operatives) |
| | - [Planning permission](plan:planning) |
| | - [Retrofitting & refurbishment](retf:retrofitting) |
| | - [Housing commons](hoco:housing_commons) |
| | - [Low-impact building](buil:building) |
| | - [Cohousing](coho:cohousing) |
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| ## Specialist curators of this topic | ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== |
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