Ventura County, Located to the north and west of Los Angeles County, will soon have its first two community land trusts.
"Two organizations have a new way for Ventura County residents to save money on housing: buying a home without purchasing the land underneath it," reports Erin Rode.
The Housing Trust Fund Ventura County is launching the Housing Land Trust Ventura County. The second land trust, called Homes for Generations of Ventura County, is the work of Matthew Fienup, executive director of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at California Lutheran University, and Tim Gallagher, CEO of public relations company The 20/20 Network.
As defined by Rode, community land trusts "are nonprofit organizations that aim to provide affordable housing in perpetuity by owning land and either leasing homes or renting affordable housing units on that land. Homeowners on community land trusts receive a long-term lease agreement, typically for 99 years."
Ventura County is not the first to recently explore for the first time the idea of community land trusts as a way of preserving affordable housing. Columbus recently considered its first community land trust. The first citywide community land trust was recently created in New York City. Land trusts are also gaining traction in communities as far-flung as Baltimore, Seattle, and cities all over Colorado.
For more on the information about community land trusts and how they work, see previous posts on Planetizen:
- Explained: the Power and Potential of Community Land Trusts (July 2015)
- Explained: Community Land Trusts (January 2018)
FULL STORY: Two community land trusts are launching in Ventura County. Here's how they work.
Land Trusts Preserve Affordability, but for Whom?
An analysis of buildings bought by the city for a community land trust in Boston reveals that many prior residents were evicted just before the sales.
Community Land Trusts Fight for Neighborhood Affordability
The increasingly popular community-oriented mechanism makes neighbors into property owners and preserves affordable housing in perpetuity.
How One Community Land Trust Delivers Housing Affordability to Denver
The Elevation Community Land Trust's unusual ownership structure and strong initial fundraising have given it a solid footing in the Denver area.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
