What's a Community Land Trust - The CLT Solution

A New Way of Doing Things - Stoke Gabriel Community Land Trust.

We formed the Stoke Gabriel Community Land Trust in 2017 to provide a modern, community-led method to building affordable rural homes. Stoke Gabriel CLT is a legally recognised Community Benefit Society,  and one of over 200 CLT’s in the UK, that are successfully working towards building affordable homes and improving their community resources. In fact, Community Land Trusts (CLTs) just like ours, are being set up all around the world, to help provide affordable homes and services for local people.

"When you’ve struggled year in and year out just to pay the rent, the CLT gives you hope, that something’s happening and people care".
Stoke Gabriel resident.

The main features of Community Land Trusts are:

Land ownership.The Community Land Trust (CLT) can secure the housing site in perpetuity (long-term) for the community.
 
Affordable Homes for Local People. Those with a strong local connection – through living or working in the parish, or having family there – have priority for the housing. This is enshrined in a legally binding agreement between the Community Land Trust and SHDC.

Working with and for it’s local community; This is a essential and extremely satisfying part of the CLT ethos, with local people being consulted and asked to contribute their effort in all sorts of ways, from meetings, to fund raising, to designing websites, to producing graphics for the project, to making a film, it is an opportunity for creativity. Every CLT is unique- shaped by the individual's who make it.

When a CLT is a Community Benefit Society; It’s aim is to act in the best interests of it’s community, reinvesting any money back into the community it serves through new projects also of benefit.

Access to grant funding. The creation of the Community Land Trust, enables government grants to be obtained for community led housing schemes.
 
Financial viability. The CLT may obtain an income from ground rents sufficient to cover it’s running costs and provide a small income for other projects. The Trust is therefore financially sustainable for the long-term, safely sustaining the management of the community houses.
 
Potential for other projects. Although the priority for Stoke Gabriel CLT is to create affordable housing, there can be scope in the future for any funds to be re-invested in other projects that the Community may need, as has been done by other CLT’s such as; developing and protecting other property and land.
 
Professionally and democratically run; The CLT is a democratic organisation - with membership open to anyone supporting its objectives. It is headed by an elected board of volunteer Directors who lead the organisation to reach it’s goal.

Expert technical Advice for the CLT- We’re not doing this alone! CLT’s draw on expert advice such as the national CLT Network,South Hams District Council,  planners, financial and business advisers, affordable housing experts and local politicians to get a project done.