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The goal of Cityscape is to bring high-quality original research on housing and community development issues to scholars, government officials, and practitioners. Cityscape is open to all relevant disciplines, including architecture, consumer research, demography, economics, engineering, ethnography, finance, geography, law, planning, political science, public policy, regional science, sociology, statistics, and urban studies.

Cityscape is published three times a year by the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

 
  • An Evaluation of the Impact and Potential of Opportunity Zones
  • Volume 24 Number 1
  • Managing Editor: Mark D. Shroder
  • Associate Editor: Michelle P. Matuga
 

Community Land Trusts for Sustainably Affordable Rental Housing Redevelopment: A Case Study of Rolland Curtis Gardens in Los Angeles

Annette M. Kim
University of Southern California

Andrew Eisenlohr
Council of the District of Columbia

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council of the District of Columbia or others in the District of Columbia Government.

Community land trust (CLT) affordable housing projects are typically built in rural or economically depressed urban neighborhoods. In the midst of urban housing shortages and anti-gentrifcation organizing, local groups are turning to the CLT model to redevelop affordable housing in expensive urban centers and enable low-income households to remain in their communities and maintain access to jobs, services, and cultural amenities. This case study focuses on the synthesis of skills and strategies it took for a land trust and an affordable housing developer to join forces and transform 48 units of Section 8-funded apartments with expiring affordability covenants into 140 units of sustainably affordable housing. In addition to increasing the number of affordable units, most critically, the CLT’s ground lease design will help ensure their affordability indefnitely, unlike mainstream affordable housing projects. This study also identifes public policy changes that could facilitate similar projects and discusses the enduring challenges associated with the development of affordable housing in expensive market economies.


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