Matthew Brian Hersh

With hundreds of billions of dollars in short-term commercial real estate loans underwater, it's safe to say commercial real estate is in trouble. But can community development corporations confront the lending shortfall?

New Orleans, San Francisco, and Albuquerque are exploring, and implementing, community land trusts as an economic development tool that can encourage development in business districts while assuring that local businesses are not displaced.

In the housing crash of 2007, Atlanta's Pittsburgh community was a focal point for mortgage fraud, mortgage defaults, and foreclosure. By forming a nonprofit community land trust, Atlanta is working to turn the neighborhood around.

Rebecca Cohen and Emily Salomon of the Center for Housing Policy examine existing policy tools to preserve and expand affordable housing near planned transit stations.

The Atlanta BeltLine brings much promise to the city of Atlanta, but will elevated housing costs be an unwelcome addition? Atlanta is looking to a community land trust to preserve affordability for the long-term near this new asset.