International Center for Community Land Trusts

Habitat for Humanity-CLT Partnerships for Lasting Affordability
2025-07-01 14:00 - 15:15 UTC
Webinar Description

What does it take to create housing that remains affordable across generations? Join the International Center for CLTs, Habitat for Humanity, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy for a dynamic conversation on the power of community land trusts (CLTs) as a tool to deliver lasting affordability through long-term stewardship. This webinar walks through the history of the CLT movement in the US, examine the current landscape of affordable housing preservation, and spotlight a new policy report on forming strong and equitable CLT partnerships.

Panelists offer practical insights into how CLTs function as stewards—protecting affordability at resale, supporting homeowners over time, and preserving the physical integrity of homes so they can serve multiple generations of families. With a long-standing history of collaboration, CLTs and Habitat for Humanity affiliates are natural partners in this work. Participants learn how CLT-Habitat partnerships have been successfully formed and scaled and what it truly takes—on the ground and behind the scenes—for communities to take collective control of land and housing.

Whether you’re a housing advocate, policymaker, staff/board member of Habitat for Humanity affiliates and CLTs, or a curious citizen, this session will provide both inspiration and grounded strategy for ensuring that affordability endures beyond a single sale, beyond a single homeowner—for generations to come.

Speakers and Panelists

John Emmeus Davis, Founding Board Member, International Center for Community Land Trusts; Editor-in-Chief, Terra Nostra Press

JOHN EMMEUS DAVIS is a co-founder of Burlington Associates in Community Development, a national consulting cooperative. John was on the staff of the Institute for Community Economics from 1981 to 1985 and later served for ten years as the housing director for the City of Burlington, Vermont. He co-authored the federal definition of a CLT that was enacted into US law in 1992.

Assan Sosseh, Lasting Affordability Program Manager, Habitat for Humanity International

ASSAN SOSSEH is a seasoned affordable housing professional currently serving as the Lasting Affordability Program Manager at Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI). In this role, he leads initiatives aimed at increasing the adoption of lasting affordability homeownership models within the Habitat network. These models include strategies such as community land trusts, ground leases, and long-term deed restrictions, all designed to ensure that homes remain affordable for future generations.

Derby Swanson, Director of Homeowner and Community Services, Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County

DERBY A SWANSON has a diverse professional background with extensive experience in community services, market research, and project management. Currently serving as the Director of Homeowner and Community Services at Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County since September 2022, Derby previously held roles such as Community Impact Manager and Worship Administrator at Trinity Church in the City of Boston. Derby A. Swanson operated an independent consulting practice focused on research methodologies from 2011 to June 2016 and has also held significant positions at Sentient Decision Science, Applied Marketing Science, and the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, contributing to various strategic and management initiatives. Academic qualifications include an MBA in Market Research from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University, a Master of Divinity in Theology from Andover Newton Theological School, and a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Northwestern University.

Matina Kauffman, Vice President of Homeownership and Neighborhood Programs, Habitat for Humanity Portland Region

MATINA KAUFFMAN is the Vice President of Homeownership and Neighborhood Programs with Habitat for Humanity Portland Region. She has been with the affiliate for 18 years and was instrumental in their transition to permanent affordability through a partnership with the local community land trust, Proud Ground. She has been a strong supporter of expanding shared equity models across the Habitat network and sharing best practices. She helped develop a resource center on lasting affordability for affiliates through a Fellowship with Habitat for Humanity for Humanity International.

Megan McDonough, Executive Director, Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity

MEGAN MCDONOUGH has been the Executive Director of Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity since 2014. Megan has been working with Habitat to refine the model of small, ecological, homeownership – asking the question, what’s “big enough” to contain the dream of homeownership? Prior to her work with Habitat Megan spent 7 years at the Center for Ecotechnology providing support for green building certification programs like LEED for Homes and ENERGY STAR Homes. She has a master’s degree in regional planning from UMass Amherst and lives with her family in a near zero net energy home in the western Mass hilltowns.

Devika Goetschius, Executive Director, Housing Land Trust of the North Bay

DEVIKA “DEV” GOETSCHIUS is a nationally recognized leader in community land trusts and permanently affordable homeownership, with over two decades of experience in equitable housing development. As Executive Director of the Housing Land Trust of Sonoma County and a partner at Burlington Associates in Community Development, Dev has helped launch and support dozens of shared equity housing programs across the US. She also serves on the boards of Generation Housing and International Center for Community Land Trusts, and is a trusted advisor to local governments, nonprofits, and Habitat for Humanity affiliates. Fluent in Spanish, Hindi, and Sindhi, Dev brings a community-centered, multilingual approach to her work, grounded in a commitment to long-term affordability and housing justice.

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 (America/New_York)
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 (America/New_York)
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.
