It Started with a Plan 

In April 2019, City Council gave the green light to Housing and Neighborhood Development (HND) to create Housing GSO, a 10-year plan to improve access to, and the condition of, affordable housing in Greensboro. City Council approved the plan in October 2020. As noted in the plan’s Executive Summary, community and focus group discussions involved the importance of much-needed housing stability for many Greensboro families. The consensus: Community Land Trust (CLT) models could help.

City Management Support Lit the Fuse

The City Manager’s Office directed HND and the City Attorney’s Office to learn more about Land Banking and CLTs locally, statewide and nationally. The determination was that developing a CLT would be a more effective path to reaching the goal of homeownership for many Greensboro residents. (Note: Greensboro – as other NC cities – engages in de-facto land banking to the extent it is allowed under state statute.) 

Bringing in the Heavy Hitter

In 2021, HND engaged the services of Grounded Solutions Network (GSN), the nation’s premier nonprofit leader in assisting communities create long-term affordable housing opportunities. The GSN model focuses on cultivating equitable and inclusive communities by introducing affordable housing solutions that last for generations. Soon thereafter, the City contracted with GSN to begin exploring with the city’s community the idea of creating a Greensboro CLT.

In January 2023, Phase I – referred to as the Education Phase – of the process began with five in-person community meetings and two online meetings. In total, more than 100 residents participated. One City Council Work Session was also part of Phase 1. Feedback from all sessions was positive.

From June 2023 to March 2024, HND again contracted with GSN to continue the process into Phase II – known as the Feasibility and Business-planning Phase. Five additional in-person community meetings and two online meetings took place, and a steering committee appointed. Positive feedback continues to come in from engaged residents.

What will the Future Bring?

Now until May 2025, GSN will once again work with HND and Greensboro residents to finalize the Program Design and Launch Phase. This part of the process will help the community identify and acquire under-utilized property that can be developed/repurposed to provide affordable housing for current and future generations.

Given current projections, City staff anticipate a Community Land Trust could be operational in Greensboro in late spring/early summer 2025 and may initially involve 8-12 real estate parcels.