Community Land Trusts: Can they be an answer to the housing crisis?

Conversations about how to fix Canada’s housing crisis often focus on one idea: the accelerated building of more affordable units. But, in the absence of a coordinated response to housing shortages and rising rents, communities — big and small — are taking matters into their own hands. Local organizers have created Community Land Trusts (CLTs), non-profits that buy up land within a given neighbourhood and keep it affordable and accessible for everyone in the community – indefinitely. This model gives stability to longtime renters, especially in areas facing the threat of displacement, gentrification and “renoviction.” For The New Reality, Krista Hessey introduces us to the people leading the charge on CLTs in Canada — both inside and outside of big cities.

• Canada’s ‘community land trust renaissance’: How people are taking control of their housing