Council backs targeted down-payment and repair funds through land-trust partnerships

The City Council approved awards for targeted homeownership and critical repairs that use community land trust models to preserve long-term affordability and build intergenerational wealth. Councilor Perez highlighted the city’s use of community land trust approaches—naming Proud Ground and Evergreen Habitat for Humanity—and asked whether the city was limiting use of the model to this ARPA-funded allocation. Patrick Quintin and staff responded that both organizations already have contracts with the city using land-trust approaches and that other funding sources (the Affordable Housing Fund and the federal HOME program) are also in use. Staff said the approved awards will assist 14 households total: six mobile-home rehabilitation projects and eight homebuyer assistance cases under the land-trust or down-payment assistance program. Councilor Perez and other council members praised the approach as a way to help working families build generational wealth and reduce displacement. Council approved the item by motion; staff said the awards will be coordinated with existing programs and funding sources to expand community land trust models across the city.