The Good Steward Community Land Trust
Habitat for Humanity of the Northern Flint Hills is excited to announce The Good Steward Community Land Trust program with our 3-home pocket neighborhood in Odgen. This program enables Habitat to retain ownership of the land from one homeowner to the next, ensuring the continued appropriate use, structural integrity and continuing affordability while the people living in the home own the house.
What is the purpose of a CLT?
The purpose of the CLT is to steward land for the preservation of affordable housing for future generations, which aligns with our mission to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope.
How is this different than just building a house?
The CLT owns the land in perpetuity and governs the resale of the home from one income-qualified buyer to the next, ensuring the long-term impact of community investment.
Is The Good Steward CLT only for new home construction?
No, like other community land trusts across the United States, we engage in projects to build or rehabilitate housing in various contexts, including single-family homes and multi-unit dwellings.
Who owns the home?
The homeowner owns all structures built on the land. The ground lease between the homeowner and the landowner (the CLT) sets the terms of the resale.
How does the home stay affordable?
To provide the next homebuyer an opportunity for an affordable purchase, the CLT uses its share of the accrued equity, allowing the home seller to realize their earned equity in the home and a portion of the speculative equity.
Who takes care of the home and land?
The ground lease stipulates the joint responsibilities of the lessor (CLT) and the lessee (the homeowner). Should buildings become a hazard, the ground lease gives the CLT the right to require repairs.
Who oversees the CLT?
Our program is guided and accountable to the people who call our community home. One-third of a CLT’s board of directors is members living on CLT land; another third are members residing in the community who do not live on CLT land; and one-third are public officials, local funders, nonprofit providers of housing or social services.