Transcript A Community Land Trust for Pottstown Steering Committee Jerry Nugent, Kathy Phifer, Jason Bobst, Judy Memberg, Dave Garner, Chris Huff, David Jackson, Sue Repko December 20, 2010

A Community Land Trust
for Pottstown
Steering Committee
Jerry Nugent, Kathy Phifer, Jason
Bobst, Judy Memberg, Dave
Garner, Chris Huff, David
Jackson, Sue Repko
December 20, 2010
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What is a CLT?
A nonprofit model for:
Community involvement & partnerships
Increased homeownership
Neighborhood stabilization
Community gardens
Job creation
PA Housing Alliance: “Housing is economic development.”
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History of CLTs
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Active in the U.S. since the 1970s
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241 CLTs in 45 states
Over 5,000 CLT homes
There are 5 CLTs in PA:
State College, Philadelphia, Macungie,
Bellefonte & Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley CLT received the 2010 Innovation Award from the PA Housing Alliance
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Pottstown’s Housing Crisis
The Cycle
Estimated 44% rental housing stock
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Concentration of subsidized units
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Lax code enforcement
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Blighted properties
Wave of foreclosures*
Diminishing real estate values →increased
property taxes → homeowner flight
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* So far, 75+ properties went to banks in 2010 (excl. Hanover Sq.)
How does a CLT work?
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Affordable Homeownership
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A CLT owns property, rehabilitates buildings,
then sells or leases buildings according to
community goals.
A CLT retains ownership of the land beneath the
buildings.
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A re-sale formula allows owners to build equity
but keeps homes permanently affordable.
CLT stewardship promotes home maintenance
& prevents foreclosure.
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Neighborhood Stabilization
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CLTs continually engage with residents.
CLTs rely on partnerships to solve safety and code
enforcement problems: Borough, Genesis Housing,
CPR/Neighborhood Watch.
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CLTs do more than housing: community gardens
can turn vacant lots into attractive, healthy and safe
communal spaces.
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A Vision for Old
Chestnut Street
Playground
Before
After
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Economic Development
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CLT can serve as land bank
CLT can partner with County
Redevelopment Authority
CLT can own, lease & sell commercial
property
CLT can create job incubator, market
properties for artists, sell properties at
market rates & more
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CLTs create local construction jobs
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The experts have spoken
Current Pottstown planning documents
support the principles behind a CLT:
• Creation of non-profit housing corporation
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Increased homeownership
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Increased housing choices
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Stabilized neighborhoods
Enforcement of housing codes
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Technical Memorandum
Program Initiatives to Support
Core District Redevelopment Plan
Urban Partners, March 2003
Combat disinvestment by:
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improving code enforcement
helping renters become buyers
helping homeowners make repairs
encouraging multi-family conversions to single-family
establishing programs that are not income-restricted
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Pottstown Metropolitan Regional
Comprehensive Plan, 2005
Housing is a basic element of a community’s
economic health and growth.
• Maintain & promote revitalization of existing residential
neighborhoods & villages.
Encourage pedestrian-oriented, residential
neighborhoods that foster a sense of community.
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Accommodate housing opportunities for a range of
income levels & age groups.
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Pottstown Economic Development
Strategic Plan, March 2008
by Gannett Fleming
Encourage revitalization of neighborhoods
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Provide broad range of housing choices,
including market rate, owner-occupied housing
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Form non-profit Borough Housing Corporation
to lead housing initiatives
Provide financial incentives & other support to
encourage rehabilitation & homeownership
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Pottstown, PA:
Transformation Strategies
Urban Land Institute, October 2009
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Expand market choices for new housing &
revitalize existing housing
The creative class, households without children
& other nonconventional households do not
want to move into neighborhoods that are
beginning to decay, appear to be empty, or have
the perception of crime.
An aggressive neighborhood stabilization
partnership should be established immediately.
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Washington Street Neighborhood
Action Plan Update (2010)
• Improve housing stock
• Reduce crime
• Revitalize deteriorated section of Pottstown
• Community building
• Development of affordable housing
• Education of consumers on housing & financial
issues
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Genesis Housing Corporation
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County-wide non-profit active in Pottstown
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Rehabilitates housing
Provides financial counseling & homeownership
for low/mod-income households
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Excellent track record
Sale prices dictated by government funding
regulations
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Genesis-CLT Partnership
Genesis to provide technical assistance to CLT
CLT to fill in gaps
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rehab properties outside Genesis model
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sell market-rate units, where possible
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undertake commercial/economic development
projects
provide opportunities for citizen involvement
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More Potential Partnerships
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Borough
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School District
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PAID/Chamber
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Pottstown Garden Club
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Pottstown SCORE
Montgomery County
Genesis Housing Corp.
PDIDA
Montgomery County
Community College
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The Hill School
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Health & Wellness Foundation
Pottstown Arts & Cultural
Alliance
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PMMC
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Buildings Industries
Exchange/ACE mentor
program
Faith communities
Financial institutions & local
businesses
Real estate community
And more….
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A Community Land Trust
For Pottstown
Currently exploring formal partnership with Preservation
Pottstown, an existing, local 501(c)(3).
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By-laws include acquisition & ownership of properties;
support efforts to improve residential, non-residential & public
spaces in Pottstown; support economic development
activities.
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CLT invited to next meeting on January 13, 2011 for formal
presentation
National Community Land Trust Network provides free
manuals, model ground leases, accounting manuals, on-line
courses & other field-tested resources
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Permanent CLT Board
The “classic” structure for a CLT Board of
Directors includes:
• CLT homeowners (1/3)
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Members of the community-at-large (1/3)
Representatives from community partners,
including local government (1/3)
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Nuts-and-Bolts
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Site Control
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Money
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Site Control
Having control of some properties in
distressed areas is essential for
stabilization & redevelopment.
Properties can come from:
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Borough & County blighted inventory
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Sheriff’s sales
Foreclosures
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Sources of Funding
Seed money essential for initial,
high-visibility projects.
• Federal, state, county programs
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Local Financial institutions
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Foundations
Private donors
Fostering partnerships to bring more dollars to the
community.
Some funds will revolve back to CLT as properties are
sold & put back onto tax rolls.
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CLT & Taxes
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Nonprofit does not mean “no taxes”!
CLT is a problem-solving community
organization
Several possibilities exist for taxing
limited-equity homes and CLT-owned land
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Responsible & equitable taxation method
to be worked out in partnership with taxing
bodies
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Ultimate Goals
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Put blighted properties back on tax rolls
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Increase homeownership
Increase community involvement
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Reduce crime
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Create jobs
Attract market-rate homeowners &
businesses back to Pottstown
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Improve fiscal outlook
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Next Steps
Community
Land
Trust
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We need you…
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… to put the pieces together!
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POTTSTOWN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
Dave Garner
Chris Huff
David Jackson
Sue Repko
www.PottstownCLT.wordpress.com
[email protected]
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