Community Land Trust

Seeking ways to provide affordable housing

The lack of affordable housing threatens to change the very character of Prince Edward County. Housing prices have increased dramatically, despite the recent downturn, and rental accommodation is difficult to find at any price. One possible solution may lie in the creation of a Community Land Trust (CLT). A CLT is a non-profit corporation created to acquire and hold land for a community. The land is perpetually held in trust to help provide access to community uses. On Monday, the Prince Edward Learning Centre and THRIVE PEC held an information session at the Wellington and District Centre about CLTs and their possible application in the County. Dominique Jones, executive director of The County Foundation opened the session and introduced the presenters, Nat Pace from the Canadian Network of Land Trusts Community and Joshua Barndt from the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust.

Pace gave an overview of what CLTs are. The concept originated in the state of Georgia in the 1960s as a way for Black farmers to obtain affordable land. The land would be purchased by a community-controlled non-profit and then leased to the farmers on a long-term basis. This took the land out of the real estate market and provided stability to the farmers and their families. The concept then spread to urban areas as a response to the displacement of renters caused by gentrification. A CLT preserves affordability and allows development without displacement, keeping the land under the control of the residents. The land does not necessarily have to be used for housing: the community gets to decide what is best. For example, a vacant lot could be left as green space, used as a community garden, or developed into co-op housing. In Canada, there are two types of CLTs. The first type is community-based and is typically a response to preserve the affordability in a community. The scope could be as small as one lot or building, but more often measures into the dozens. The second type is sector- based and usually involves the pooling of resources over a wider area, such as a regional association of coop housing involving hundreds of homes or, in the County experience, land trusts for conservation purposes..

There are a number of small communities in Ontario that have established CLTs. There is one in North Hastings and one in Muskoka. The Glassworks Village in Owen Sound is an ambitious project on 50 acres of land that will be a multi-use site including housing, commerce and sustainable agriculture. There is a similar project in Tatamagouche, NS, involving 100 acres of land, where a community-supported-agriculture enterprise has a 99-year lease on nine acres of farmland. Pace noted there were some common factors of success when it comes to establishing a CLT. The first is to obtain start-up funding to hire a project manager and consulting services, instead of relying on volunteers to do the heavy lifting at the beginning. It is also important to build a good relationship with municipal council, as well as with existing housing providers in the area. In the case of affordable housing, it is essential to determine exactly what the housing needs are. For PEC, Pace says it is important to determine if a CLT is the right tool to address the problem, or is there another way to fill the void in the affordable housing market. They also noted that funding a CLT is no easy task. Funding opportunities exist at a number of levels, including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Foundations and community bonds, and donations of land or money at the municipal level.

Joshua Barndt then spoke about the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust (PNLT), which was prompted by the loss of rooming houses in the neighbourhood as a result of gentrification. Hundreds of low-rent units were lost as real estate speculators bought properties and renovated them for more upscale buyers. He said the renters contribute to what is known as community equity—their payments in rent pay down the mortgage and contribute to the wealth of the community. He said that more than a third of the residents in that area are classed as low-income. PNLT was established in 2014 with an interim board and trustees. They spent two years laying the groundwork for the Trust, and began a pilot project in 2017 by acquiring a vacant plot of land and a rooming house. The vacant land was turned into a thriving community garden. With support from the Toronto council and the Toronto Housing Corporation, PNLT now stewards 84 properties with 205 rental units. The rents are set at 80 per cent of market rates and rent subsidies are available so that renters pay no more than 30 per cent of their income.

There was a question and answer session following Barndt’s presentation. One attendee asked if it is better to build new housing or buy existing units. Barndt replied that it is about half the cost to buy rather than to build, but the disadvantage is that it does not increase the stock of rental units. Another person asked whether CLTs tend to grow in scope. Barndt replied that it depends on the mandate and whether the community needs are growing. He noted the additional funding is required if a CLT expands. In some cases, as a CLT matures it can see surplus income, which can be invested in growth.

PELC Board chair Maureen Adams thanked the presenters and the attendees and gave the concluding remarks. “Because we are a learning organization, I was absolutely thrilled that PELC, with THRIVE, put this three-series learning session together. I am hoping that out of this may come some kind of growth that can move this issue ahead, that this event triggers the next step to see what applies to this community and start a group to move it forward.” The next two presentations will be on Zoom on February 9 and February 13. Please email Christine Durant at inspire@pelc.ca for more details