Who We Are

The National CLT Network incorporated in 2006, picking up the mantle from the Institute for Community Economics to provide support and leadership for CLTs around the country. Though we are not young as a movement (see the history of the CLT movement), we are still a young organization, and as such we are balancing the wisdom of “going slow to go fast” with the hunger for our services. In our first three years we have established core values, adopted policies and implemented organizational systems. We have also provided top quality training in every region of the country. 

As a membership organization, our first duty is to develop resources for our member organizations. Our website is designed to be a place to share ideas and lessons learned, and our trainings are designed to both introduce newcomers to the basics about CLTs, as well as to increase the level of knowledge and skills of experienced CLT practitioners.

Guiding Principles

The Corporation has identified seven core principles that embody the values of community land trusts.

1. Perpetual Affordability: Create affordable access to land and homes and ensure affordability for future generations.
2. Community Health, Cohesion and Diversity: Strengthen the communities in which we work by enhancing the quality of life through affordable housing community building, education, access to land, and advocacy on behalf of people of lower incomes, diverse populations, and others marginalized in society.
3. Community Stewardship of Land: Steward the land for a variety of purposes that benefit the community, such as affordable homes, community based businesses, community supported agriculture, and preservation of green space.
4. Sustainability: Create high quality buildings that are environmentally sustainable and accessible; we will create exceptional organizations that are economically sustainable; and we will create programs that support residents and staff in achieving long-term success
5. Representative Governance: Serve communities by identifying the key stakeholders and involve them in the decision making for the organization, particularly residents on community owned land.
6. Resident and Community Empowerment: Build financial assets, develop leadership skills, create stability, offer mobility and community involvement for residents, and provide opportunities for members, board and staff to engage more fully in the community.
7. Openness to a variety of organizational structures: Recognize that each community must determine the exact type of organizational structure best suited for the issues, goals and needs of their local community, with the understanding that each National CLT Network member will incorporate the previous six principles within their organization.

National CLT Network Bylaws - Approved March 12, 2013

Mission and Strategic Plan

Mission 
The National Community Land Trust Network provides training, advocacy and resources for its member organizations which nurture and sustain healthy and economically diverse communities by providing permanently affordable access to land, homes, and related resources. 


Strategic Plan 2011 - 2013
Community land trusts bring people together to create local solutions to regional challenges. The Network is committed to helping communities to work with their local CLTs or to develop Community Land Trust organizations that will help them to address these challenges. . Over the next three years the CLT Network will focus its efforts on growing and sustaining CLT stewards, and helping communities to implement successful Community Land Trust solutions to their homeownership challenges.

1.      Targeted growth: The Network will pursue a targeted strategy of providing resources to build CLT capacity in underserved communities. The Network will broaden both the geographic and ethnic diversity of the field pursuing sustainable growth of CLTs especially in areas negatively affected by the foreclosure crisis.

2.      Building awareness of the CLT solution: To address these critical needs in a timely fashion, communities need to understand the key concepts and challenges that the community land trust idea presents. The Network will help CLTs to reach out to members of these communities to not only build greater awareness of the CLT solution, but take its place as a part of the mainstream of affordable housing in America. The Network will place greater emphasis on messaging and ensure that its policy, research and outreach efforts align to raise awareness of the model.

3.      Maintaining a stable & healthy organization: To realize this vision, the Network will establish dynamic, effective, high quality systems that model fiscal responsibility, efficiency, long-term thinking, and a creative organizational culture.

Complete copy of the 2011 - 2013 Strategic Plan