Prince George’s County task force hears municipal strategies for community land trusts to preserve affordable homeownership

Bridal Torpy, Consultant, told a Prince George’s County Planning, Zoning and Housing / Economic Development Committee task force meeting that municipal–nonprofit partnerships have been a ‘‘powerful engine’’ for community land trusts (CLTs) and other permanently affordable homeownership programs.

Torpy framed the discussion by saying, “In a time of more of a constraint of federal funding, it seems courageous to be starting a new housing program,” and then reviewed examples and tools local governments have used to create and sustain permanently affordable housing.

The task force heard examples from across the U.S.: Burlington, Vermont’s waterfront redevelopment that targets 25% permanently affordable units on the waterfront and 15% citywide under an inclusionary zoning approach; Des Moines/Polk County’s Central Iowa Community Land Trust startup supported by city and county planning offices; Boston’s Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, which used eminent domain powers for neighborhood stabilization; Albuquerque’s Sawmill redevelopment; and land-bank/CLT hybrids in Central Ohio and Richmond area efforts where nonprofit entities have been…