Policy Report and Profile Series on Canadian Community Land Trusts

Published papers

1. Reclaim, Remain

Authors: Nat Pace and Jane O’Brien Davis, Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts 

This paper offers an in-depth overview of six BIPOC-led CLTs across Canada. By documenting the early-stage organizing efforts of these projects, “Reclaim, Remain: Community Land Trusts Led by Racialized Communities in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Nova Scotia” highlights how these community-driven initiatives are forging a path for collective land stewardship. Through practices that prioritize sustainable land use and lasting community ownership, BIPOC-led CLTs are showcasing the potential for resilient and inclusive communities while demonstrating pathways to decolonize land practices and use. 

2. CLT Definitions 

Author: Meagan Auger, J.D. 

This paper explores the legal definitions of CLTs globally and evaluates the possibility of establishing a legal framework for CLTs in Canada. By understanding how CLTs are defined in other countries, Auger’s work sheds light on the potential benefits and implications of a Canadian legal definition for CLTs, emphasizing how this formalization could impact the work and mission of these trusts at a local level. 

3. More Than Just Affordable Housing: The Emergence of Indigenous Community Land Trusts, Land Back, and Healing

Authors: Margaret Low and Tiana Lewis, School of Regional and Urban Planning, UBC 

This report delves into the unique experiences of Indigenous Community Land Trusts (ICLTs) in Canada, documenting both their innovations and challenges. The report not only highlights the ways ICLTs address housing needs but also examines how community land trusts can work toward stronger relationships with Indigenous Nations, organizations, and communities, fostering collaboration and shared purpose. 

4. Community Land Trust Foundation of British Columbia (CLTFBC) Case Study 

Author: Penny Gurstein, Professor Emeritus, UBC 

This case study focuses on the Community Land Trust Foundation of British Columbia (CLTFBC), a Vancouver-based organization utilizing the CLT model to operate housing cooperatives. This case study offers a practical perspective on how CLTFBC’s structure and approach provide secure, community-oriented housing while supporting cooperative principles and affordability for residents. 

5. Community Land Trusts in Canada: Responses and Resistance to Gentrification

Authors: Susannah Bunce and Emma Ezvan, School of Cities, University of Toronto

This report explores how CLTs are fighting gentrification and building a more just, community-driven approach to housing and land stewardship. Gentrification has been reshaping Canadian neighbourhoods for decades, driving up housing costs, altering commercial spaces, and displacing working-class communities. While often seen as an inevitable market force, CLTs offer a powerful alternative. By decommodifying land, ensuring long-term affordability, and prioritizing collective ownership, CLTs help resist displacement and preserve community spaces. In Canada, many CLTs have emerged in response to rising development pressures and housing unaffordability, as well as efforts to protect Indigenous and Black communities’ land rights.

6. A Case for Community Land Trusts in Canada: Promising Community Practices and Public Policy Options

Author: Kuni Kamizaki, University of British Columbia 

This report examines how community land trusts can transform Canada’s housing landscape. The research identifies the model’s core advantages for creating permanently affordable housing and provides a comprehensive policy framework to help governments implement this community-controlled approach.