This presentation examines the work done by two UGA researchers on the housing outcomes of people who have entered into a limited homeownership situation made possible through a community land trust, or CLT. CLTs are shared equity partnerships that allow low- to moderate-income households to enter into homeownership situations without owning the land upon which the housing unit rests, thus making the transaction more affordable in the process. The households were surveyed on their present housing condition when compared with previous housing situations.

1. Andrew
Carswell
Kim Skobba
University of
Georgia
IDENTIFYING SOCIAL AND
NEIGHBORHOOD OUTCOMES OF
COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
HOMEOWNERS

2.  The collapse of the housing market has been
particularly destabilizing for lower income families,
calling into question U.S. housing policy that has
promoted homeownership among low-income
households (Mallach, 2011).
 Emerging interest in affordable, alternative tenure
options that fall between rental and homeownership
(Apgar, 2004; Davis, 2006).
 Community land trusts (CLT), which use a shared
equity homeownership model, offer an alternative
option.
BACKGROUND

3.  A homeowner usually receives some type of subsidy,
which reduces the purchase price and monthly
payments
 Upon resale, the homeowner shares the increase in
home value with the organization that provided the
subsidy (usually a non-profit organization)
 For homeowners with low- and moderate-incomes
 Also called “resale restricted homeownership:,
“permanently affordable homeownership” and “third-
sector housing”
SHARED EQUITY HOMEOWNERSHIP

4. COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS
 A dual ownership model – homeowner owns the
home, another entity (usually a non-profit) owns the
land
 Homeowners receive a portion of the appreciation at
resale
 Most of the bundle of rights given to conventional
homeowners
Must be owner-occupied, may need permission or
have limitations placed on major improvements

5. •The CLT owns
the land under
a home and the
owner owns the
house and any
improvements
to the property.
•The homeowner
pays a monthly
ground lease for
the use of the
land.
CLT
OWNERSHIP
MODEL
Ground
Homeowner
omeowner
CT
CLTomeown
er
The ground lease ties the CLT and the
homeowner together and defines the rights
and responsibilities of and relationship
between the parties.

6. Previous research on CLT models:
 Has focused primarily on their ability to achieve long-term,
permanent affordability.
 The shared-equity provision has led to a research emphasis on
CLT homeowners’ ability to move, rather than the effect of CLT
ownership on residential stability (Tempkin et al., 2010).
 Research focus may be overlooking other benefits of the
model, such as outcomes related to residential and school
stability, employment and neighborhood stabilization.
BACKGROUND

7.  What are the household
and neighborhood
outcomes of CLT
homeowners in Athens,
GA prior to and after
moving into CLT owner-
occupied housing?
 How does CLT
homeownership
facilitate progress
along the housing
continuum?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

8.  The study uses a mixed-method approach, which includes a
household survey and in-depth interviews.
 The survey, administered in-person to CLT homeowners, gathered
data on the following:
 Housing status prior to CLT ownership
 Residential satisfaction
 Children’s school attainment and mobility
 Income and employment
 Perceptions of neighborhood safety and housing conditions
 Housing costs
 Transportation costs
 All homeowners (20) from the Athens Land Trust invited to
participate in the study
 Completed first phase of research in Athens, GA. Second phase –
CLT homeowners in Chapel Hill, NC; Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
RESEARCH METHOD

9.  14 of 20 CLT homeowners took part in an interview. Number
of eligible homeowners smaller than originally anticipated as
many are in rent-to-own arrangements with the Athens Land
Trust
 11 participants were female; 3 were male
 12 participants were African American; 2 were Caucasian
 Median family size = 2.5 members
 6 of the 14 households had children
 6 participants were married, 4 were divorced, the remaining
were single or widowed
SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS

10.  Half (7) had completed at least some college
 Half were working full-time, the other half were out of work or
retired
 Athens Land Trust sells homes to families earning below 80%
AMI ($46,900 for a family of four)
 The majority of the households in the study earned less than
$30,000.
SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS

11.  Most of the homeowners interviewed experienced residential
stability prior to purchasing a CLT home
 Average number of moves in the previous 5 years = 2.21
 5 homeowners had lived in the same rental housing for 10
years or more.
 One homeowner had lived in the same apartment for 50 years prior
to becoming a CLT homeowner
 Younger homeowners and homeowners with younger children
moved more frequently than older homeowners
 Prior to buying their homes: 8 homeowners had lived in
private market rental housing, 4 lived in public housing or had
a voucher, 1 owned a mobile home on leased land, 1 lived
with a parent
FINDINGS: HOUSING BEFORE CLT
OWNERSHIP

12.  The majority of CLT homeowners interviewed felt their home
was either somewhat affordable (4) or very affordable (9).
 All homeowners felt confident that they would be able to stay
in their homes as long as they wanted to.
FINDINGS: PERCEPTION OF CLT
AFFORDABILITY AND STABILITY

13.  Participants had lived in Athens, GA prior to purchasing their
homes. Many had lived in Athens their whole lives.
 All indicated that they felt safe in their neighborhood.
 The majority (11) felt that their neighborhood offered good
community activities
 About half of the homeowners indicated that they did not have
many friends in the neighborhood.
 The majority of CLT homeowners (12) indicated that they were
happy with the quality of their neighborhood
 The majority indicated that they had convenient access to
health care and grocery stores
FINDINGS: NEIGHBORHOODS

14.  The CLT homeowners interviewed who were employed
travelled 5 miles or less to work.
 11 used a car as their primary form of transportation; 2 used
rides from family/friends and 1 relied on public
transportation
FINDINGS: TRANSPORTATION

15. CONCLUSION/QUESTIONS
Contact Information:
Dr. Skobba (kskobba@uga.edu)
Dr. Carswell (carswell@uga.edu)