In a significant move aimed at addressing the severe housing crisis in New York City, the City Council recently held a historic hearing on the Community Land Act.
This groundbreaking set of bills is backed by over 150 community organizations and advocates, and is designed to empower Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and nonprofits to significantly increase the availability of deeply affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods, particularly those predominantly inhabited by Black and Latino residents.
Support for the proposed legislation was overwhelming, with more than 60 tenants and community groups voicing their endorsement during the hearing.
Key components of the Community Land Act include the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (Intro 902), which provides CLTs and qualified nonprofits with the first right to purchase multifamily buildings when landlords sell, thus allowing community members to step in before speculative buyers can intervene.
Additionally, the Public Land for Public Good (Intro 78) bill would ensure that the city prioritizes CLTs and nonprofits when it comes to the disposition of public land, thereby giving these organizations access to essential resources for community development.
As the city continues to face a housing crisis that disproportionately affects marginalized communities, with over half of Black and Latino New Yorkers experiencing housing insecurity, the need for community-led solutions like CLTs has never been more critical.
The CLT model is rooted in a long tradition of civil rights activism, aiming to take land and housing off the speculative market, prevent displacement, and promote community self-determination.
Over the past decade, the CLT movement has gained momentum, expanding from just two CLTs to more than 20 now operating throughout New York City.
These organizations currently manage over 1,200 units of permanently affordable housing, in addition to green spaces, affordable retail spaces, and various community hubs.
Among the notable successes of the CLT movement: Last year, the East New York CLT collaborated with tenants to purchase their 21-unit apartment building from a negligent landlord, marking the first CLT purchase of its kind in New York City.
With the building now under CLT stewardship, tenants are coordinating much-needed repairs and converting it into a tenant-owned cooperative.
The Mott Haven Port Morris Community Land Stewards achieved a significant milestone in 2023 by securing the rights to transform an abandoned, city-owned property into a Health, Education, and Arts (HEArts) Center after years of advocacy.
This initiative aims to provide vital resources in an environmental justice community that currently suffers from a lack of healthy green spaces while addressing the alarming rate of asthma among children in the area.
In Queens, the ReAL Edgemere CLT was tapped to redevelop 119 vacant city lots in a way that emphasizes climate-resilient, affordable homeownership alongside open green spaces.
The grassroots CLT has actively involved community residents in an inclusive planning process, focusing on the needs of those living in public housing.
With a history dating back to 1994, the Cooper Square CLT continues to steward more than 320 deeply affordable apartments on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and is now mobilizing tenants from two rent-stabilized buildings saved from tax foreclosure.
Additionally, the Bronx CLT was launched by the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition in 2020, aiming to establish shared wealth and collective governance over Bronx land.
Recent successes include commitments for preserving four sites in the Belmont neighborhood as permanently affordable cooperative housing.
The Western Queens CLT, formed in response to opposition against an Amazon headquarters planned in Long Island City, is now focusing efforts on securing rights to redevelop a publicly-owned building into spaces for community jobs, fostering local entrepreneurship, and supporting the arts.
This Land Is Ours CLT, established in 2019, was instrumental in acquiring a decommissioned religious property that will be developed into more than 500 affordable apartments.
They are also working to convert two city-owned parking lots into low-income housing for families and seniors.
Despite these wins and the growing popularity of CLTs, challenges remain.
The organizations face significant barriers to scaling up, primarily concerning access to land and capital.
The Community Land Act aims to alleviate these obstacles by granting CLTs a first right to purchase buildings when landlords decide to sell, thereby empowering local communities to act swiftly against speculation.
The Public Land for Public Good component of the bill would also facilitate the transformation of vacant public land into vital community resources and affordable housing projects.
City Council initiatives since 2019 have encouraged the growth of New York’s CLT movement, providing funding for education, organizing, and technical assistance that empowers groups to conduct community outreach and capitalize on local opportunities.
These modest funding allocations have yielded significant returns, enabling communities to gain support, acquire properties, and collaborate with mission-driven developers.
Advocates are calling for the city to commit even further by investing robustly in CLTs through policy support and funding to help these organizations maximize their potential in securing land and housing for the community.
The urgent housing crisis affecting the city demands bold and systemic solutions.
Community Land Trusts are exemplifying what is possible by ensuring genuine affordability, staving off displacement, and putting land and housing into the hands of the people.
CLTs not only aim to increase housing availability; they also focus on community-driven development and stewardship for generations to come.
As advocates push for the Community Land Act’s passage, the hope is that it will pave the way for further transformative change in New York City, fostering empowered neighborhoods united in a shared vision of equity and sustainability.
image source from：https://citylimits.org/opinion-nyc-needs-land-and-housing-for-people-not-profit/
