A community land trust (CLT) is a type of community ownership model where the community stewards land in perpetuity for the common good of those who live there, says GenesisHOPE Executive Director Jeanine Hatcher.
GenesisHOPE is a nonprofit that strives to improve equity through community health and development, affordable housing, and open green spaces in Islandview, the Villages of Detroit, and other nearby neighborhoods.
The organization is working to develop the Common Ground Community Land Trust as part of its drive to create more affordable housing options for Detroiters. The idea came to Hatcher years ago after she visited New York City and conducted research about CLTs to address gentrification and displacement. She began strategizing around ideas that would use vacant land in Detroit neighborhoods…