2021 | Advocacy by residents encourages addition of CLTs into City of Long Beach Housing Element
In 2021, residents organized alongside local housing justice organizations, including Long Beach Residents Empowered (LiBRE), to advocate for the inclusion of CLTs in the Long Beach Housing Element, the city’s guiding document for housing development and policy.
2021 | A focus group is created to study CLTs as a viable solution
During a community focus group, a solution organized tenants explored was to create and preserve affordable housing as a local, community-led collective through establishing the first community land trust in Long Beach. After the focus group, an engaged group of community members was able to begin incubating a CLT.
2022 | A CLT Formation Committee is formed to begin developing a CLT
A dedicated CLT Formation Committee was established, made up of passionate volunteers committed to creating a community-led solution to the housing crisis. This committee formed the Housing for All Long Beach Community Land Trust, now known as the Long Beach CLT (LBCLT), and began the foundational work of shaping the CLT by developing its mission, defining its purpose, and drafting the organization’s bylaws.
2023 | The City of Long Beach provides support for CLT incubation
Thanks to sustained advocacy of residents, the City of Long Beach committed $800,000 from the Long Beach Recovery Act toward the development of the city’s first CLT. LiBRE, in partnership with the CLT Formation Committee, applied for and was awarded the funds to continue building LBCLT. This funding supported key areas including staffing, operations, Board and Membership development, and the creation of a Business Plan to guide sustainable housing stewardship strategies.
2024-2025 | The Long Beach CLT is launched
With support from the City of Long Beach, LBCLT was able to hire its first staff members, become an independent nonprofit organization, elect its inaugural Board of Directors, and hold its first Annual Membership Meeting. Together, the staff and Board began working to raise funds and strengthen the organization’s capacity to acquire and steward land and housing for long-term community benefit.
