Los Angeles’ Community Land Trust Coalition
In a time when the pandemic has made the housing crisis more urgent than ever, protecting tenants is only one part of the equation. Liberty Hill also supports the creation and preservation of affordable housing to address the homelessness crisis.
Housing for All
Community Land Trusts (CLTs) have a critical role to play in preventing a wave of property acquisitions by speculative investors who seek to benefit financially from the economic devastation precipitated by COVID-19.
CLTs are a proven model for communities to control land and development, offering long-term retention through permanent affordability.
CLTs are nonprofit orgs governed by a board of community residents and public representatives that provide shared equity homeownership opportunities for families and communities.
By taking land off of the speculative market—allowing communities to hold them in trust in perpetuity—CLTs ensure community-serving uses and protection from speculative activities.
Liberty Hill is incubating five current CLTs through the Los Angeles Community Land Trust Coalition, and raises funds to support infrastructure and capacity building needs for the coalition.
Community Land Trusts at Liberty Hill
Los Angeles Community Land Trust Coalition
Provides peer support and advances funding and acquisition opportunities for the collective. The five CLTs represented are located in Central, East and South L.A., and serve low-income and working-class Black, indigenous and immigrant communities of color.
Beverly/Vermont Community Land Trust
Born out of the Los Angeles Eco-Village project; stewards the land of four properties with a total of 48 homes and 75 tenants, one urban garden and a bicycle community hub
Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre
Formed in East LA and Boyle Heights to fight gentrification by creating an organization that could put land into community control. Currently in negotiations to acquire three vacant lots from the City of Los Angeles.
El Sereno Community Land Trust
Grew out of a struggle to reclaim their community from a decades-long Caltrans project, intent on evicting residents and selling homes to developers at market value. Currently in the process of acquiring dozens of Caltrans properties in El Sereno.
Liberty Community Land Trust
A Black-led, Black/Brown-focused CLT based in L.A.’s Southwest, Mid-City and adjacent communities; Currently focused on the acquisition of multiple multi-family buildings around the Exposition Light Rail Line stations, and multiple single-family homes within the Crenshaw Corridor.
Tenemos que Reclamar y Unidos Salvar la Tierra-South LA (T.R.U.S.T. South LA)
T.R.U.S.T South L.A. recently opened 140 units of affordable housing near the Expo/Vermont Metro Station. They are also focused on efforts to acquire, develop, and steward the 7-acre Slauson and Wall site intended for 120 affordable housing units, a park, and commercial development.
Join the Movement
Community land trusts can advance a critical strategy that not only addresses current inequities, but also repairs historic racial and economic injustices. Now is the time to join in scaling this innovative and effective solution to the housing crisis.