Home is where the heart is — and we’re keeping it in San Francisco♥︎
A Community Land Trust (CLT) is a community-based nonprofit that buys and holds land to make housing permanently affordable.
Instead of being controlled by private landlords or speculative investors, the land is owned by the community through the trust AND residents own or rent their homes at stable, affordable rates.
This structure keeps housing costs predictable and fair, ensuring that people who live and work in the city can continue to do so for generations.
How it Works
The CLT identifies properties.
The Community Land Trust identifies properties with long-term residents who may be at risk of eviction if their buildings are bought by speculators.
The CLT buys property.
The Community Land Trust purchases or receives property, often with public or philanthropic funding, to protect it from speculation.
The land stays in the Community Land Trust.
The CLT retains ownership of the land permanently, removing it from the private market.
Residents control their homes.
Residents either own their homes through limited-equity cooperatives or rent them at affordable, stable rates — always below market value.
The community governs the Community Land Trust.
A three-part board — residents, community members, and public representatives — makes sure decisions benefit the community.
Why CLTs Matter
Community land trusts protect people and culture from being priced out. They are a proven solution for stopping displacement, preserving affordability, and keeping neighborhoods diverse and vibrant.
Community land trusts create stability.
Families can stay rooted in their
homes for generations.
Community land trusts build equity.
Homeowners and cooperatives build modest
wealth without speculative risk.
Community land trusts preserve culture.
Artists, educators, and essential workers
remain part of the city’s fabric.
Community land trusts share power.
Decisions about housing and land
are made democratically.
How SFCLT Helps Emerging CLTs
SFCLT is more than a local housing organization; we are a regional capacity-builder helping other communities form and sustain their own land trusts.
Through programs like the Capacity Catalyst and the CLT Capacity Collaborative, SFCLT provides:
Technical Assistance:
Guidance on legal formation, governance
structures, and financial models.
Training & Education:
Workshops and resources for community
groups learning the CLT model.
Financial Infrastructure:
Access to shared lending, funding,
opportunities, and acquisition support.
SFCLT’s vision is to create a network of strong, locally rooted land trusts — each preserving housing and community power across the Bay Area and beyond.
The Vision
We believe in a future where community ownership is the foundation of housing policy — not the exception. That’s why we’re working with partners across California to advance statewide CLT policy, shape social housing legislation, and share resources.
Our goal is simple but transformative:
A Bay Area where everyone has a home,
and no one is displaced by profit.
The Vision
We believe in a future where community ownership is the foundation of housing policy — not the exception. That’s why we’re working with partners across California to advance statewide CLT policy, shape social housing legislation, and share resources.
Our goal is simple but transformative:
A Bay Area where
everyone has a home, and
no one is displaced by profit.