When Communities Own the Land, Housing Stays Affordable

Smoketown Community Land Trust in Louisville, Kentucky, a historically Black neighborhood, began buying and developing land to preserve long-term affordable housing after residents noticed investors displacing longtime residents. Community land trusts retain ownership of land beneath homes to keep prices permanently affordable, and over 300 CLTs now operate across the US.

The first homes have recently been completed; longer-term outcomes will show whether the model sustains affordability for future residents.