Solving the Housing Affordability Crisis with Community-Led Housing

By Austin Smith

Let’s start with the obvious problem: housing has become too expensive. This isn’t just a problem of coastal cities like San Francisco and New York, either. The causes – which include decades of policy that pushed for more resource and maintenance-intensive suburban development while making more affordable types of housing illegal to build – have been metastasizing the crisis for decades.

But that story misses a deeper and older point – that privatization and commodification of land are tools of exclusion, and they’ve been a key weapon in pushing people and communities out of their homes for centuries. The current affordability crisis isn’t new, it’s just a twist on the same road that we’ve been on, informed by changes in land use law, development patterns, and living arrangements within the past hundred years.

We need solutions that meet the moment – not just the immediate moment of affordability crisis, but the larger moment of exclusionary land policy, displacement, and social atomization.

This is where Community Land Trusts come in.

CLTs are not just a technical tool, or another affordable housing product. CLTs are a people-driven way of making real, long-term shared stewardship possible. They build a little bit of the world that we want to see, one neighborhood at a time.

I’m proud to have been working with the team at JM Goldson on a project supporting the early stages of a new Community Land Trust in Medford, MA, an inner-core metro Boston city facing the housing crisis head-on.

But What Is a Community Land Trust?

Basically, a CLT is a nonprofit that stewards land on behalf of the community. The trust keeps the land permanently off the speculative market, safe from house-flippers looking to make a quick buck and gentrify the neighborhood. Homes or buildings on the land can be rented or owned — but always with restrictions in place to keep them affordable, not just for the first folks, but for everyone else after. And they can develop new housing, driven by community need, and not profiting for outside investors.

That’s the basic structure. But what makes CLTs different is what they do beyond the spreadsheet. A good CLT doesn’t just manage properties. It organizes people. It builds leadership. It holds potlucks, walking tours, and community meetings. It becomes a structure where neighbors don’t just survive together — they steward their place, together.

CLTs Are More Than a Model — They’re a Movement

There’s a lot to miss if you only consider CLTs “housing tools.” Yes, they make homes more affordable, and they can be a helpful player in managing required deed-restricted affordable units created through inclusionary zoning or other methods. But their deeper potential lies in connecting people with land without turning it into a commodity. That’s something that other affordable housing structures don’t accomplish in quite the same way.

In a housing system built to reward profit at the expense of people, CLTs say: not here. Not this block. Not this parcel. This land exists to serve people — not investors. That’s a radical thing to say, especially in a political culture that still treats housing and land as wealth-building engines that reward the already well-positioned.

CLTs offer something else. They turn ownership into stewardship, profit into permanence. They’re one of the few models that decommodifies housing on the local level without requiring an administrative state to manage it as public housing.

They represent a devolution of political power, empowering responsible neighborhood development that leads through long-term community organizing. This type of organizing represents a political shift in how to meet the housing crisis and see community-supported development without displacement. Where regulation of private development has created complex systems of inclusionary zoning, linkage fees, community benefits agreements, and other structures built to maximize benefits and minimize impacts, community-led development with a CLT starts with community organizing, ensures all-affordable housing by definition, and allows for more community-driven stewardship of place.

“Planting Seeds” in Medford

Over the past year, our team at JM Goldson has worked with the City of Medford to explore the feasibility of starting a Community Land Trust — and if so, how to make it real. But this hasn’t been a backroom or consultant-driven process.

We organized focus groups with folks who’ve built and sustained CLTs across New England. We talked with organizers, city staff, and residents. We asked about what worked, what didn’t, and what it actually takes to get a CLT off the ground. (Spoiler: it’s not just a good business plan. It’s devoted people, committed for the long haul.)

Then, we worked alongside the City and a working group of community leaders to develop a Strategic Plan — not just to map out logistics, but to seed a broader sense of possibility for the working group to grow into a thriving resident-led organization.

Tips for Starting a Strong Community Land Trust

If you're exploring a CLT in your own community—or wondering how to support one—here are some of our top lessons from working with CLT leaders across New England:

1. Lead with People, Not Property

It might feel counterintuitive, but the most successful CLTs don’t start with land—they start with community. Before acquiring parcels, they build relationships. Expect the early years to focus on knocking on doors, hosting listening sessions, and cultivating shared vision. If you're thinking about a CLT, ask yourself: Who are the people who will lead and sustain this work over time?

2. Don't Go It Alone

New CLTs benefit enormously from partnerships—whether it's fiscal sponsorship, shared staffing, or regional alliances. Many thriving CLTs leaned on peer networks and technical support in their early years. Look for allies in your local affordable housing ecosystem. The power of mutual aid, even in planning, can’t be overstated.

3. Stretch Every Public Dollar

One of the biggest financial advantages of CLTs is permanence. Because the affordability doesn’t expire, each dollar of public funding creates enduring impact—not just in the housing itself, but in community stewardship, social cohesion, and local leadership. If you're managing public funds, think about how to invest once in a way that lasts for generations.

4. Design Governance for Accountability

The tripartite board structure—made up of residents, public representatives, and community members—creates a resilient, democratic foundation. This governance model ensures that decisions are rooted in place, people, and long-term purpose. If you're advising a new CLT, prioritize board development as much as funding and legal structure.

5. Think Beyond Housing Units

CLTs aren’t just another affordable housing tool. They’re a different way of relating to land. They blend affordability with belonging—offering not only stable housing, but a deeper sense of rootedness and shared responsibility. For cities looking to combat displacement and strengthen civic life, this is where the promise of CLTs truly shines.

Ready to Plant Seeds in Your Community?

The effort in Medford shows what’s possible when local government, residents, and mission-aligned partners come together with courage and care. While every community’s path will look a little different, the core ingredients—relationship-building, long-term thinking, and shared stewardship—are universal.

In my work at JM Goldson, I’m honored to walk alongside communities exploring models like CLTs, and our team bring the strategic support to make early-stage organizing both visionary and practical. Whether you’re a local official, a nonprofit leader, local affordable housing developer, or a resident with a spark of an idea, the JMG team is here to help you take the next step.

Let’s talk. Reach out if you’re ready to explore how a community land trust—or another community-led housing solution—could take root where you live.

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Connect with us at www.jmgoldson.com or email me directly at austin@jmgoldson.com.

If you’d like to learn more, connect with the Medford CLT organizing group by getting on the email list at surveymonkey.com/r/MedfordCLTPlan.