International Center for Community Land Trusts

Panel Discussion on Stewarding the Future: Youth Power and Leadership in Community Land Trust Practice
2024-12-04 12:00 - 13:15 (America/New_York)
Webinar Resources

Slide Decks

Ashley Allen, PhD, Houston CLT, Executive Director

Carlos Sanchez-Gonzales, South Baltimore CLT, Youth Outreach Specialist

Jason Webb, Grounded Solutions Network, Community and Technical Assistance Principal

Webinar Description

On 4 December 2024, we held a panel discussion with a short Q&A on youth engagement and leadership within community land trusts. Core to the CLT mission is the stewardship of community assets for both present and future generations. Responding to today’s pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges—particularly those posed by climate change—requires listening to, and raising up, the voices of those who will be most affected: our youth. Engaging young people in community-owned land and housing will be crucial for building sustainable communities and advancing the stewardship mission of CLTs. This webinar was an engaging conversation with CLT practitioners and two youth leaders. Together, we explored questions such as:

How are CLTs involving youth representatives in decision-making?

How are the concerns of youth members of CLTs shaping CLT practice?

How can we better engage youth and highlight their role in shaping the future of communities?

Panelists

Ashley Allen serves as the Executive Director of the Houston Community Land Trust. She brings to the role non-profit leadership and program development experience in the areas of education, S.T.E. M.,workforce development and affordable housing. As a community organizer for over 10 years, she helped develop and drive campaigns for improved homeless services, affordable housing policy, and education in Chicago, IL.Ashley served as a consultant with the Barack Obama Foundation where she was responsible for the planning and implementation of the foundation’s initiative to develop the next generation of community organizers and advocates.Ashley’s experience as a homeless youth is what ignited her passion to help increase housing accessibility and affordability for those that need it most. She serves on the Board of The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County and is a member of the Houston Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. Ashley holds a B.S. in Food Science from Florida A&M University, an M.P.A from Governors State University and a Ph.D. in Cultural and Educational Policy with a concentration in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago.

Carlos Sanchez-Gonzales is a youth leader and South Baltimore resident who works with South Baltimore Community Land Trust. In his work, he focuses on citywide outreach and education to connect more residents with the movement to create community-owned developmentAs a student at Benjamin Franklin HS in Curtis Bay, Carlos started learning from environmental justice leaders who founded Free Your Voice. Carlos acted on these lessons by helping to develop Baltimore’s first citywide Zero Waste Plan and advocating for new funding for permanently affordable community owned development. Now, Carlos continues to advance environmental justice through research and action while expanding our outreach to the next generation of youth leaders.

Jason Webb is a Community and Technical Assistance Principal at Grounded Solutions Network. He has close to 40 years of experience in community organizing and revitalization. He was instrumental in the revitalization of a community in Roxbury, Massachusetts, called “Dudley Street,” as highlighted in the award-winning documentaries Holding Ground and Gaining Ground and in the book Streets of Hope. As the 9ason oversees training and technical assistance for cities, nonprofit organizations, and community groups. He assists with exploring, adopting, and implementing housing policies and programs with lasting affordability that advance racial equity and inclusion. Jason has developed essential tools that have helped hundreds of groups learn about the community land trust model, such as the “Community Land Trust Start-up Hub”. Jason served as Co-Chair of the staff committee for racial equity and inclusion from 2020 to 2023. Before coming to Grounded Solutions, Jason worked for 15 years for Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) and Network Member Dudley Neighbors Inc. (DNI). He served in several capacities, including Director of Real Estate and Technology, Director of DNI “The Community Land Trust,” and Director of Administration and Finance. Jason oversaw the development of several community land trust developments and created a youth development/youth jobs program called CommunityScapes.A Massachusetts native, Jason attended Boston University School of Management. Jason currently resides in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he and his family enjoy the harbor city that is known for its fishing and whaling industry.

Panel Discussion on Using CLTs to Deliver Energy Renovation and Permanent Affordability to Existing Housing
2024-10-23 11:00 - 12:00
Webinar Recording

Transcript in English and French

Webinar Description

As a follow up to the September webinar, we gathered previous webinar presenters for an hour-long panel discussion where we continued to build on the previous month’s case studies working with non-CLT homeowners to upgrade their homes and stabilize their tenure while bringing them into the community land trust. In the last webinar, we saw presentations from Virginie Schoëff (CLTB) and Jeanne Mosseray (VUB) regarding the Upcycling Trust Partnership—a collaboration between five European CLTs and local authorities—and Staci Horwitz regarding Project Sustained Legacy from the City of Lakes CLT in Minneapolis. This discussion provided insights and actionable takeaways on how CLTs are approaching working with, educating, and organizing with non-CLT homeowners to stabilize tenure, bring circular and sustainable upgrades to their homes, while bringing them into a CLT.

Panelists

Jeanne Mosseray, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Cosmopolis Centre for Urban Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Jeanne was trained as an anthropologist and pursued studies in Urbanism and Strategic Planning. Now, as an “urbanist-anthropologist”, she is combining socio-spatial urban research and urban design. Her main research focus is on housing, social housing neighborhoods and the residents’ inclusion in the city through urbanism.

Staci Horwitz, Operations Director, City of Lakes Community Land Trust

Staci Horwitz is the Operations Director at City of Lakes CLT, where she oversees homeownership programs and property development projects. She joined CLCLT in 2006 and has a diverse background, including roles as a software firm president, grant writing consultant, youth specialist, and medical sales consultant. Staci’s expertise spans nonprofit administration, program development, financial management, and community land trust stewardship. She has also facilitated workshops for NeighborWorks® America and Grounded Solutions Network. Staci holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dietetics from the College of St. Scholastica and resides in North Minneapolis.

Geert De Pauw, Coordinator, Community Land Trust Brussels; Board Co-President, International Center for Community Land Trusts

Geert De Pauw has been active for more than 20 years for the right to housing in Brussels, as an activist and community worker. In 2008, following a study visit to the Champlain Housing Trust, he started advocating for the establishment of a Community Land Trust in Brussels. He coordinated the feasibility study, on behalf of the Brussels Capital Region, for the establishment of a CLT. Since the official establishment of Community Land Trust Brussels in 2013, he has acted as coordinator of the association. From there he co-founded the European CLT partnership SHICC (Sustainable Housing for Cohesive Communities), which sets itself the goal of building a powerful CLT sector in Europe.

Using CLTs to Deliver Energy Renovation and Permanent Affordability to Existing Housing
2024-09-25 11:00 - 12:00
Presentation Recordings

Jeanne Mosseray, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (14 minutes – Français):

Staci Horwitz, City of Lakes Community Land Trust (13 minutes – English):

Virginie Schoëff, Community Land Trust Brussels (19 minutes – Français):

Presentation Slides

Jeanne Mosseray, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Staci Horwitz, City of Lakes Community Land Trust

Virginie Schoëff, Community Land Trust Brussels

Presentation Transcripts in English and French

Jeanne Mosseray, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Staci Horwitz, City of Lakes Community Land Trust

Virginie Schoëff, Community Land Trust Brussels

Blog Posts

Introduction to Using CLTs to Deliver Energy Renovation and Permanent Affordability to Existing Housing, by Rich Kruger Delgado, Education and Outreach Manager, International Center for Community Land Trusts

Can CLTs Play a Role in Climate Policy?, byGeert De Pauw, Coordinator, Community Land Trust Brussels and Co-President, International Center for Community Land Trusts

Supporting the Upcycling Trust Project: A Researcher’s Perspective, by Jeanne Mosseray, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Webinar Description

Facing the twin challenges of producing more affordable housing and addressing climate change, cities across the world are caught between the need for producing more housing while protecting existing open space and decarbonizing the built environment. By linking sustainability in the built environment to the creation of permanently affordable housing, CLTs can simultaneously respond to the housing and climate crisis in ways that ensure justice and equity.

This 75 minute webinar will highlight innovative CLT approaches to deliver just and equitable solutions that respond to these challenges by featuring two exemplary CLT initiatives from Europe and the United States: The Upcycling Trust, a partnership between five European CLTs and local municipal authorities in France; and the Sustained Legacy Project from City of Lakes CLT in the city of Minneapolis, MN. The Upcycling Trust partnership works at delivering sustainable housing renovations while bringing existing housing into community ownership. The Sustained Legacy Project from City of Lakes CLT uses the CLT as a way to assist low-income elderly homeowners facing significant housing rehabilitation challenges while deeding the land to the CLT. Our presenters will provide overviews of their respective projects, while addressing the specific challenges they face and the strategies they employ to overcome these obstacles, providing valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers alike. After the presentations, there will also be a short Q&A to give you the opportunity to ask questions to our panelists.

Presenters

Jeanne Mosseray, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Cosmopolis Centre for Urban Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Jeanne was trained as an anthropologist and pursued studies in Urbanism and Strategic Planning. Now, as an “urbanist-anthropologist”, she is combining socio-spatial urban research and urban design. Her main research focus is on housing, social housing neighborhoods and the residents’ inclusion in the city through urbanism.

Staci Horwitz, Operations Director, City of Lakes Community Land Trust

Staci Horwitz is the Operations Director at City of Lakes CLT, where she oversees homeownership programs and property development projects. She joined CLCLT in 2006 and has a diverse background, including roles as a software firm president, grant writing consultant, youth specialist, and medical sales consultant. Staci’s expertise spans nonprofit administration, program development, financial management, and community land trust stewardship. She has also facilitated workshops for NeighborWorks® America and Grounded Solutions Network. Staci holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dietetics from the College of St. Scholastica and resides in North Minneapolis.

Virginia Schoëff, Project Manager for Sustainable and Inclusive Renovation, Community Land Trust Brussels

Virginie Shoeff is the Project Manager for Sustainable and Inclusive Renovation at CLTB. Virginie is an architect by training. From 2004 to 2011, she was responsible for the co-creation of the “Ateliers Mommens,” the first social artist residence in Brussels. After that, she specialized in ecological renovation and supporting self-renovation. After a career as an independent architect, she has been working since 2023 for Community Land Trust Brussels, where she is responsible for an action research on the use of the CLT model to help homeowners with modest incomes in the energy renovation of their homes.
