CLT named after Ruchell "Cinqué" Magee, considered by many to have been the longest-held political prisoner in the United States, aims to create not just affordability, but belonging.
Starting Over Inc., a Southern California advocacy group, has launched the Ruchell “Cinqué” Magee Community Land Trust, the first CLT dedicated to housing and supporting people leaving incarceration. Named after Magee—widely considered the longest-held political prisoner in the U.S. and a figure of the Black liberation movement—the trust seeks to provide not just affordable housing but also belonging, wealth-building, and stability for justice-impacted individuals.
The initiative responds to staggering need: up to 70 percent of Californians experiencing homelessness have incarceration histories, and reentry housing options are often underfunded and carceral in nature. The Magee CLT envisions homes, community gardens, and revenue-generating spaces, shaped by a community advisory board of people with lived experience.
By centering those harmed by the justice system, the Magee CLT challenges housing, racial, and economic inequities—and points toward a future where reentry means more than survival; it means opportunity.
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association