Prince George’s County task force launches study of community land trusts to preserve affordable homeownership

Prince George’s County Councilmember Eric Olson convened a county task force Wednesday to study community land trusts as a tool to expand permanently affordable homeownership, and members agreed to meet roughly monthly and deliver a written report within one year.

The task force’s first meeting featured a detailed presentation by Brenda Torpy, who identified herself as a longtime community land trust practitioner and leader of Champlain Housing Trust, describing how community land trusts work, examples from around the country and partnerships local governments use to scale programs.

“Community land trusts are just a proven tool to meet this moment,” Torpy told the task force, summarizing the model’s goal of protecting long-term affordability while allowing homeowners to build some equity.

Why it matters: County officials said the task force is intended to examine options for preserving and expanding inexpensive homeownership in a region where housing costs outpace wages. Task force members flagged county surplus land, land-bank partnerships and local funding sources as possible levers to kick-start a program if the council decides to proceed.

At the meeting, Olson set…