Strengthening Community Land Trust Research

Background

Community land trusts (CLTs) are a form of land stewardship rapidly growing across Canada. Typically, CLTs are community-run organizations, governed by a tripartite board, that own, develop, and manage land and buildings to benefit the local area. This unique approach to land stewardship has garnered significant interest as an effective alternative to maintain long-term property affordability and foster community building.

Methodology

The project addressed three research questions:
First, what role do CLTs play in responding to gentrification? Susannah Bunce (UofT) and PhD student Emma Ezvan developed a paper exploring this question with a focus on the City of Toronto.

Second, what are the implications of potential policy and zoning changes in Vancouver for CLT efforts to preserve low-income housing? Kuni Kamizaki (UBC) is working in partnership with the Downtown Eastside (DTES) CLT to understand how policy changes led by Vancouver City Council will affect the preservation and replacement of single room occupancy (SRO) housing, the primary source of low-income housing in the DTES. The DTES CLT has been working to preserve SROs in moderately good condition, which remain susceptible to conversion and gentrification-by-upscaling; this research explores the implications of policy and zoning changes currently being explored by Vancouver City Council for the Oppenheimer District, which have historically protected the area from new condominium development, curbed speculation, and limited displacement.

Third, is a Canadian legal definition for CLTs needed? Alexandra Flynn (UBC) and law student Meagan Auger (UBC) worked with CNCLT to review Canadian and international law on how it applies to CLTs, given the wide variety of financial, organizational, and governance structures CLTs use in Canada. The resulting report is part of the CLT Report Series presented at the CNCLT Summit in October 2024, alongside a toolbox of common questions CLTs face.

Additional reports related to CLTs can be found on our Policy Report and Profile Series on Canadian Community Land Trusts project page (https://bsh.ubc.ca/research/policy-report-profile-series-on-canadian-community-land-trusts/

Results

This project has generated a growing evidence base on the structural role of CLTs in the Canadian housing landscape, including policy reports, a capacity building workshop, and blog posts that inform the development of CLTs and support long-term affordability.