A Land Trust And A Non-Profit Team Up To Bring More Black Teachers To Kansas City, Next City
Grounded Solutions Network Receives $12 Million Unrestricted Grant from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
How a Mobile-Home Park Saved Its Community from a Corporate Buyout, High Country News
The CLT Center is hiring a Communications Manager
More CLTs in the news
More CLT job postings
In this edition, we feature stories that highlight innovative collaborations -- one to support efforts to bring more Black teachers to Kansas City -- and the other which blends a CLT with a housing cooperative to preserve a mobile-home park. And then there is the game-changing grant from MacKenzie Scott to support of the work of Grounded Solutions Network. And you'll also find a list of other recent articles about CLTs from around the world.
We are excited about hiring our first Communications Manager -- you can see the announcement in this newsletter, as well as other CLT job postings.
"Teachers Like Me," a nonprofit founded by Trinity Davis, aims to increase the presence of Black teachers in Kansas City by providing affordable housing and support services. With just 7% of current teachers being Black, Davis recognized the impact of representation on Black students' success. By partnering with the Manheim Community Land Trust, Teachers Like Me secured vacant lots to build duplexes for teachers, ensuring affordable living. The program also offers financial coaching and therapy, fostering community and addressing challenges faced by Black educators. The initiative's success could lead to expansion in other cities.
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has awarded a groundbreaking $12 million grant to Grounded Solutions Network, marking the largest single contribution in the organization's history. The grant empowers the network to advance multiple initiatives that promote lasting affordable housing solutions, including community land trusts, limited equity cooperatives, shared equity programs, and inclusionary housing efforts. Grounded Solutions Network's commitment to racial equity and innovative housing models aligns with Scott's belief in their potential to alleviate the national housing crisis. This substantial funding supports their mission to address affordability and promote equitable homeownership.
Kirbie Bennett and Jamie Wanzek, High Country News, August 4, 2023
In Durango, Colorado, Westside Mobile Home Park faced displacement as a corporate entity planned to purchase and impose rent hikes. Residents partnered with Elevation Community Land Trust to buy the park cooperatively, forming a housing co-op and community land trust. The model ensures affordable housing by separating home ownership from land ownership, reducing vulnerability to market forces. This collaboration, a rarity between co-ops and land trusts, empowers residents and corrects historical housing inequalities, enabling lasting affordability and community influence on decision-making.
The Center for Community Land Trust Innovation seeks to hire a Communications Manager as a full-time employee. This is a fully remote position, with the expectation of international travel at least once per year. We are looking for someone to play a key role in codesigning and implementing our comprehensive communications strategy. And as a fluent Spanish speaker, the Communications Manager will help us greatly expand our reach in Latin America, Spain, and within the US. For the full job description and information on how to apply, go to cltweb.org/hiring/communications-manager/
