Community Land Trust
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When land and buildings are sold together on the open market, every transaction inflates the land value, housing becomes unaffordable within a generation, and the community that built the neighborhood is displaced by the wealth it created.
Evidence and Discussion
Community Land Trusts (CLTs) separate land ownership from building ownership. The trust owns the land permanently; residents own (or lease long-term) the buildings. When a homeowner sells, the land value stays with the trust, keeping the next purchase affordable. Burlington, Vermont's Champlain Housing Trust (founded 1984) has kept over 700 homes permanently affordable through multiple market cycles.
Therefore
in any neighborhood seeking permanent affordability, establish a Community Land Trust to hold land collectively. Residents own their buildings and improvements; the trust owns the land and enforces resale restrictions that keep housing affordable in perpetuity. The trust is governed by a board of residents, community members, and public representatives — ensuring that the people who live on the land have a voice in how it's managed.