{"id":45064,"date":"2018-08-15T09:36:24","date_gmt":"2018-08-15T12:36:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=45064"},"modified":"2020-08-07T14:03:12","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T17:03:12","slug":"the-diversity-and-global-applicability-of-the-community-land-trust-model","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=45064","title":{"rendered":"The Diversity and Global Applicability of the Community Land Trust Model, from Boston to Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A Community Land Trust<\/a> (CLT) is a community-managed nonprofit organization or association established to provide permanent affordable housing and build community assets in the territory that it owns and governs. CLTs are grounded in community participation and stakeholder cooperation. This article looks at five diverse case studies of existing CLTs around the world\u2014from the model’s founding in the Deep South to its application in post-industrial Boston and Albuquerque, and informal settlements in Kenya and Puerto Rico\u2014and explores the potential of the CLT framework as a model for sustainable development.<\/p>\n

New Communities: First CLT Was Established to Promote Desegregation and Independence in Albany, Georgia, USA<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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New Communities<\/a>, located in Albany, Georgia, is often credited as being the very first CLT<\/a>. Born in the 1960s from the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, New Communities aimed to attain economic and political independence for African-American farmers. The founders, who were instrumental in the local desegregation movement, were motivated by the belief that\u00a0legally recognized land ownership is the only way for African-Americans to assert their independence and guarantee land security. Through the establishment of the CLT, community members collectively acquired 3,000 acres of farmland and 2,000 acres of woodland\u2014which, at the time, was the largest landholding by African-Americans in the United States.<\/p>\n

“It would have allowed us to do business internationally, would have allowed us to build a food delivery system from the South to North, and a system that would have allowed us to build a local base of farmers whom we could buy from… cooperative development; buying, selling, holdings, storage.”\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Charles Sherrod<\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0co-founder of New Communities<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative: “Development Without Displacement” Partnered with Local Government in Boston, MA, USA\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative<\/a> (DSNI) was established in 1984<\/a>\u00a0to guarantee “development without displacement.” The initiative is the first community-based organization in the United States to gain eminent domain authority<\/a>\u2014the power to acquire private land for public use.<\/p>\n

In 1987, soon after its founding, DSNI drafted the\u00a0Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative Revitalization Plan<\/a>, which was adopted and funded by the City of Boston<\/a>. The plan outlined priorities including restoring commercial rail service, building a community greenhouse, and generating partnerships to improve the quality of local schools. In 2016, recognized for its critical role in citywide grassroots community development efforts, DSNI was selected as a planning partner for implementing the federal\u00a0Choice Neighborhoods<\/a>\u00a0grant in the City of Boston.<\/p>\n

The DSNI Board of directors is notable for ensuring all racial backgrounds\u2014black, Latino, Cape Verdean and white\u2014have equal standing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Raising our voices: it is the most powerful thing you can imagine.” \u2013\u00a0Resident of Dudley Street Triangle<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“Those of us that are living here, those of us that are working here, need to be involved.” \u2013Resident of\u00a0Dudley Street Triangle<\/strong><\/p>\n

“[The CLT] allows for residents to demand the best and have partnerships… that work for them.” \u2013\u00a0DSNI Community Leader<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We believe that everybody in the neighborhood is an organizer. In fact, everybody in the neighborhood is an agent for change.”\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Resident of\u00a0Dudley Street Triangle<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tanzania-Bondeni: A Legacy in Voi, Kenya\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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The Tanzania-Bondeni CLT<\/a>\u00a0in the town of Voi is the very first of its kind in Kenya. The CLT implemented between 1990 and 2004 through a pilot informal settlement upgrading initiative<\/a> of the Kenyan government in partnership with international agencies. Through the establishment of the CLT, residents of the Tanzania-Bondeni informal settlements gained access to land tenure in their villages and have advocated for social justice, community education, and equity in land allocation. The community and agencies involved are hopeful that this CLT could be used as a model for the development of other CLTs in Kenya.<\/p>\n

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“If we decide to opt for individual title deeds, some will start selling them. And what will happen to the children? Where will they live?” \u2013\u00a0Mama Fatima<\/strong><\/a>, <\/em>Resident of\u00a0Tanzania-Bondeni<\/p>\n

“I am convinced… that this can be replicated elsewhere.” \u2013\u00a0Gideon Muindi<\/strong>, former town clerk, Voi Municipal Council<\/p><\/blockquote>\n