Mellon Research Fellow: Christopher Ruiz-Torres
Community Land Trusts as Prevention, Not Intervention: Case Studies in Sacramento, Asheville, and Logan Square
College: Brightpoint Community College
Faculty mentor: Brittney Scott
Project summary: This paper argues that Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are a powerful tool for preventing gentrification and displacement by removing land from the speculative real estate market to ensure permanent housing affordability. By using a democratic governance model and separating the ownership of the land from the homes built upon it, CLTs help stabilize disinvested neighborhoods and preserve the cultural and racial diversity of the community.