City of Bridges Community Land Trust

The Lawrenceville Community Land Trust (CLT) was established in 2015 as a way to preserve affordability through permanently affordable housing. Lawrenceville Corporation engaged evolveEA to assist with a plan to expand this model to neighboring communities.

evolveEA facilitated an inclusive process for a Steering Committee of stakeholders from neighboring community organizations, to establish the necessary organizational infrastructure and capacity framework to expand the Community Land Trust. Through the process participants built knowledge about CLTs, explored alternatives, and made decisions regarding the CLT Expansion. In addition, the process placed heavy emphasis on equity and inclusion in regards to which communities the CLT will serve, who is present at the table, and who is empowered to participate.

This 9-month process resulted in a Community Land Trust Expansion Report describing the expanded CLT’s new bedrock statements (mission, vision, and values), organizational model, core functions, organizational capacity, partner capacity requirements, organizational leadership and board structure, and implementation scope and timeline. Informed by the organization’s founding document, the CLT is now a multi-neighborhood, multi-municipal land trust with the promise of long-term organizational stability and effectiveness. Now known as “City of Bridges Community Land Trust”, the organization secured $5 million in start-up funding and has developed and sold a dozen properties with many more planned.