Building a National CLT Network

ICE hosted a meeting of CLT leaders in May of 1998 to begin thinking about ways that CLTs could work together to address their mutual needs. That meeting lead to a CLT Network convention in March of 2000, and an inaugural meeting in Albuquerque, NM on November 8, 2000. The Community Land Trust Network adopted a charter that named the functions, priorities, and membership structure of the Network as follows:

Functions
Priorities
Membership

CLT Network Functions

National Advocacy

• Promoting and publicizing CLTs, regionally and nationally
• Lobbying Congress, negotiating with the federal bureaucracy
• Cultivating alliances with other national coalitions and networks

Facilitating Connections among CLTs

• Organizing regional meeting among Network members
• Sponsoring periodic meetings of CLT executive directors
• Serving as an information distributor and referral service among CLTs

Evaluation & Documentation

• Possible development of evaluation process
• Documentation of CLT performance
• Promoting CLT-to-CLT mentoring, technical assistance, and support

Priorities for the Network's first year are:

• Re-energized national publicity campaign and advocacy agenda;
• Expanded opportunities for connections and peer-to-peer training among CLTs, including increased regional support and focus;
• Dedicated network staffing that is responsible to the network through a steering committee, elected from among the network members;
• Simpler, more inclusive definitions of affiliate and associate membership status;
• Continued ICE support for network activities, with increased oversight by the network;
• Phased increases in dues to provide a significant part of network funding.

ICE provides resources and strategic support to the Network in carrying out its functions and achieving its goals. The Network assists ICE in achieving its goals of building a strong national CLT movement.

The CLT Network offers two kinds of membership, Affiliate membership, for organizations that are CLTs, and Associate membership for organizations and individuals that are supportive of CLTs.

Network Membership

Affiliate membership is open to an organization that:

• Is a CLT.
• Is accountable to the local community, either by virtue of its structure as a membership corporation, or by means of another mechanism, clearly defined in its by-laws.
• Has a commitment to the perpetual affordability and stewardship of the property and land, which it develops and/or holds in trust.
• Affirms the following principles:
• A CLT is an organization committed to economic justice and to the economic empowerment of low-income people and communities.
• An essential purpose of a CLT is to provide access to land, housing, and economic opportunities for low-income (or low-and moderate-income) people who are otherwise denied access to these resources.
• As a steward of land and other resources, a CLT has responsibility to see that these resources are used in ways that are environmentally and ecologically sound, as well as economically just.
• As an organization promoting economic justice, a CLT should seek to educate its community regarding the causes of economic injustice and the ways in which the CLT model addresses these causes.
• Has a governing body that includes CLT resident representation.
• Is committed to the use of ground leases for the property it develops.
• Agrees to:
• promote a strong and effective network by sharing information, ideas and experiences with other network members,
• participate in the governance of the Network, including choosing a delegate to speak to and vote on all Network business,
• support the Network financially through Affiliate dues.

All organization that are Affiliates as of March 10, 2000 will be eligible to continue as Network Affiliates.

Applications available from: Julie Orvis, ICE, 57 School Street, Springfield, MA 01105. Phone: (413) 746-8660 x 118. Fax: (413) 746-8862. Email: Julie@iceclt.org.

Submit applications to the Steering Committee of the Network, which has sole discretion to judge whether the applicant meets the above requirements.

Associate membership is open to any group or individual that:

• Supports the community land trust (CLT) model, e.g. housing development organizations, churches, community development corporations, community action programs, or other groups which sponsor or collaborate with CLTs, cities or state agencies which fund CLT's, and to Technical Assistance providers or other individuals who assist community land trusts).
• Agrees to:
• promote a strong and effective Network by sharing information, ideas and experiences with other network members,
• May participate in the governance of the Network, including choosing a delegate to speak to all Network business, and to vote on Associate matters,
• support the Network financially through Associate dues.

It is the intention of the Network that Associate membership be broadly inclusive.

Applications available from: Julie Orvis, ICE, 57 School Street, Springfield, MA 01105. Phone: (413) 746-8660 x 118. Fax: (413) 746-8862. Email: Julie@iceclt.org.

Submit applications to the Steering Committee of the Network, which has sole discretion to judge whether the applicant has demonstrated a commitment to the CLT model.