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City Roots is working to empower residents and preserve affordability in our neighborhoods, but we can't do it without YOU! Join us every Third Thursday at 5:30 pm.
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Hello City Roots friends!
We have a new CLT homeowner! Thank you to everyone who visited our open houses last month, to everyone who applied to live in the beautiful, permanently affordable home, and a special thank you to our Application Review Committee! Vanessa, our new CLT homeowner has a few special words:
"2020 has been a tough year for us all. I lost a family member, attending school full time, remote learning with 2 children and working full time all while in a pandemic. The idea that I would be able to purchase a home in 2020 went completely out of the window. I am excited, grateful and blown away to be selected for this home! Thank you to everyone who has played a part in any way to make this place my family’s new home! Tissue is welcomed for the housewarming gift! ”
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If you're interested in being a City Roots CLT homeowner, check out and apply for free on our website now, or email info@cityrootsclt.org.
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The holidays are approaching, and we want everyone in City Roots work to be acknowledged for all they do. If you haven't already, check out our website and submit a membership form now! We'll be reaching out to all of our prospective members on their vision for City Roots, and how they would like to be more involved. If you wanted to set-up a phone call or a coffee meeting to discuss City Roots CLT, please email Anastajah at ana.haynes@cityrootsclt.org
- City Roots Community Land Trust
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Third Thursday: Why We Need Radical Community Land Trusts & How to Build Them
Thursday, November 19 from 5:30-7 pm
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We hold our general meeting on the Third Thursday of every month. This is a great time to catch up on what's been going on with the CLT, other members and supporters, and to ask questions! Please join us tonight at 5:30pm!
This month, our main topic of conversation will be "Why We Need Radical Community Land Trusts and How to Build Them."
The CLT model has its roots in the Civil Rights Movement and the movement for community control, but there is no guarantee that the model is used for radical purposes. In fact, there are many forces at play in our community and around the world that have already forced many CLTs to not be very radical at all.
We at City Roots believe that in order to holistically develop our communities, to truly build the beloved community, we need to make radical changes to the ways land and housing are owned, governed, and valued. To do that, we need we need radical Community Land Trusts.
Join us for a short presentation and long dialogue on this topic.
Join the meeting:
See you soon!
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Thank you to the First Unitarian Church of Rochester for awarding City Roots CLT the Greater Good Project Grant! A special thank you to all of the children of the congregation, who sacrifice their holiday toys and gifts so that families in this great city can have the opportunity to build community wealth. This grant will help us rehab homes in 2021. Also, shout out to the Worker Justice Center of New York for the amazing work they do around agricultural and undocumented workers rights!
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City Roots was also awarded the Crisis Community Fund Grant! Thank you to United Way & The Rochester Area Community Foundation for supporting City Roots and our members during these hard times. With this grant, we're able to continue to offer our tenants rent forgiveness for the duration of the pandemic, and continue our operations with ease!
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This month, City Roots and our partner organizations are kicking off the Campaign to Clean Up Goodman Plaza! Thank you to Jenna for facilitating our Outreach & Engagement Committee meeting, and explaining environmental racism and the history of the site that is now Goodman Plaza.
The first step in this campaign is getting the people who live near the plaza, the people who shop on it regularly, and everyone else directly affected by this site to join us for a community meeting on December 16th. To do this, we need you to join us in canvassing the neighborhood!
We have 11 days set aside for canvassing before December 16th, click here to learn more about the events and which dates work best for you.
- Meet us in the parking lot by Save-A-Lot at 836 North Goodman Street (Goodman Plaza) at the starting time for that day.
- We will have a short training and practice session on canvassing, and then get out there to meet our neighbors!
The people in our community who have suffered from the long history of injustice and racism that surrounds this site deserve justice. We deserve to have this site cleaned up and turned into a true asset for the community. If we are going to do that, we need to bring folks together to build community power. Join us in doing just that!
Please contact Graham Hughes with any questions about this campaign.
graham.hughes@cityrootsclt.org
315-263-1910
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The momentum for tenants rights is growing, and the Rochester Housing Justice Alliance is doing hard work. There is still a lot of confusion around the rent moratorium that ended October 1st and the Safe Harbor Act. Check out this article from City News that explains how evictions are still going on here in Rochester in the middle of the pandemic. Over 40 evictions have been granted in the last month, and we need you to help your neighbors today. The Rochester Housing Justice Alliance has carried out 4 successful eviction blockades since the end of the moratorium, as well as getting tenants back into court to have their cases heard and fairly assessed. However, there are growing calls from disgruntled tenants who are scared they're going to be removed from their homes and failed by the system. We won't fail our neighbors.
We need you! If you're interested in getting involved today, please email the Rochester Housing Justice Alliance at rochousingjusticealliance@gmail.com, and a volunteer will be in contact with you.
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In order to make systemic change that helps our neighbors stay in their homes, it is necessary for Mayor Lovely Warren to issue an Executive Order to Halt all Pandemic Evictions. The Rochester Housing Justice Alliance sent our Mayor a letter explaining why tenants shouldn't be kicked out of their homes, similar to other New York Cities. Check out our letter!
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Join the Rochester Housing Justice Alliance today for a press conference to support Chris! The RHJA will also be calling on local and state leadership to put an end to evictions as the harsh winter begins, and the pandemic continues to rage on with no foreseeable end. On November 17th & 18th, RHJA successfully executed 2 eviction blockades! Even though Chris has been to court for over a month and qualifies to remain in his home under the Safe Harbor Act, he is still being evicted with less than a days notice.
We need community support as we fight for quality, affordable housing as a human right! Sign up to be a porch-sitter for Chris' home here. |
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Membership
City Roots Community Land Trust is a 501.c.3 community controlled non-profit working to establish lasting affordability in our communities here in Rochester, NY. City Roots acquires land and improvements (houses, apartments, commercial buildings, gardens, playgrounds, etc) and then puts it to our members to decide how it should be used.
You qualify as a member if you live within the City of Rochester and you meet two of the three qualifications: 1) Pay $25 annual dues; 2) Attend at least 4 CLT meetings within 12 months; and 3) Volunteer in some capacity on behalf of the CLT.
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