Photo: Florida Keys Community Land Trust
As hurricanes, floods and wildfires increase, affecting one in every 10 homes in the US, community land trusts — nonprofits that buy land to ensure community control, stave off displacement and ensure long-term affordability - have grown to more than 225. In southwest Florida, Maggie Whitcomb and her husband created the Florida Keys Community Land Trust (FKCLT) in 2017. By the time Hurricane Ian hit in September, FKCLT had nearly completed 27 cottages in Big Pine Key that will be among the last affordable housing options for working class residents. Built on 12-foot podiums, using structural insulated panels made from renewable materials that can withstand 200-mile winds, they will rent for $1,000 a month to families who earn 80% or less of the local adjusted median income. But most CLTs sell homes and rent the land to residents in a 99-year lease. Families buy the home, not the land, and agree to resell the homes at restricted prices to keep them affordable. This story from Reasons to be Cheerful also profiles community land trusts in Houston, Texas; Medford, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington.
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