About GBCLTN
Our Mission & Members
Our Mission
The Greater Boston Community Land Trust Network supports current and emerging community land trusts (CLTs) for resident-led planning and long-term, collective control of land in and around Boston.
We are committed to removing land from the speculative market and putting it into the hands of our communities for permanently affordable housing, business and other economic development projects, cultural spaces, urban agriculture, gardens and more.
We work to protect and strengthen diverse neighborhoods across our region that are undergoing or at risk of gentrification; promote understanding of the CLT model and build the CLT movement; and design and create programs, systems and policies that aid in the creation, maintenance and expansion of CLTs.
Our Background
In 2015, with multiple partners in the housing- and land-justice movement, DSNI formed the Greater Boston Community Land Trust Network. At that time, there was just one CLT in Greater Boston — today there are close to a dozen local efforts, with 7 established CLTs, each with a unique history, focus and story.
GBCLTN Founders include Alternatives for Community and Environment, Chinese Progressive Association, City Life/Vida Urbana, Tufts University Urban and Environmental Planning Program, and Urban Farming Institute.
DSNI leverages its 40+ years of successful community organizing and deep community ties to serve as the facilitator and convener of the GBCLTN.
Member CLTs
Dudley Neighbors, Inc.
Established in 1988, DNI is the 2nd largest CLT in the country. The nearly 32 acres of the CLT are home to 229 units of affordable housing, along with parks, gardens, orchards, a community greenhouse, and 7 affordable commercial units.
Boston Farms CLT
Founded in 2017 by the Urban Farming Institute, Boston Farms CLT is the first of its kind — created to own and manage commercial farms for community benefit. Stewards one greenhouse and 4 working farm sites.
Boston Neighborhood CLT
Works to address the effect of foreclosures and gentrification on communities of color in Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury. Owns and stewards 21 housing units using multiple strategies to preserve scattered site housing.
Chinatown Community Land Trust
Works to preserve Boston's Chinatown as both a neighborhood and a historic base for the Chinese community. Acquired two historic row houses for 7 permanently affordable homeownership units and stewards the community's recreational park.
Somerville CLT
Founded in 2019, Somerville CLT promotes neighborhood stability and engagement through the creation and preservation of permanently affordable housing in Somerville.
Highland Park CLT
Established in 2017 in response to generations of dialogue with the City of Boston on supporting community-driven development through job creation, environmental health, and access to housing.
Comunidades Enraizadas CLT
Created and led by a group of Latino immigrants in Chelsea, the majority of whom are women. Provides access to housing at a fair and reasonable price to low-income people regardless of migratory status.
Get Involved
For more information about the Greater Boston Community Land Trust Network, visit the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.