Douglass Community Land Trust

Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT), is a racial and economic equity membership nonprofit that creates and secures the lasting affordability of housing, local small business, and other public assets through community ownership of land and collective stewardship. Fundamentally, the Douglass CLT believes in the right of every DC resident to stay and thrive. Our key results include preventing displacement of current and future residents, creating community-held assets, and building assets for individuals and families, while putting decision-making in the hands of the membership. Douglass CLT’s “Pay It Forward” model allows people, who otherwise could not afford it, to rent, own, or do business in the District, balancing wealth creation and affordability for each generation of residents.

Partnering with residents and mission-driven developers, Douglass CLT secures the nonstop affordability of residential and commercial spaces primarily by acquiring ownership of the land underlying the building and leasing the land back to the owner of the structure with a covenant stipulating lasting affordability. Land may be donated, purchased, or Douglass CLT may provide equity to fill an affordability gap in exchange for receiving ownership of the land and/or a covenant ensuring permanent affordability. A resale formula enables the seller to receive a financial return for their investment, while giving subsequent buyers fair access to a home or commercial space at an affordable price. In all cases, Douglass CLT provides ongoing, tailored stewardship services to safeguard, build, and strengthen community assets as well as individual household assets.

Incorporated September 17, 2019, Douglas CLT operates across the Douglass Commonwealth/ District of Columbia but initially focused east of the Anacostia River. Douglass CLT’s governance structure reinforces our commitment to community control, with members voting on fundamental corporate decisions and electing a 12–18-member board of directors comprised of approximately 1/3 lessee members, 1/3 general members, and 1/3 public-technical professionals. As March 2021, our portfolio holds permanent affordability covenants for 219 homes across six wards of DC, including 65 rental units, 3 single-family homes, 10 condominium units, and 128 units in three limited equity housing cooperatives.