Homestead Community Land Trust – King County, Washington

In Seattle and King County, Washington, the Homestead Community Land Trust (Homestead CLT) is helping to preserve existing and build new affordable housing that incorporates green design features. The CLT currently stewards 13 acres of land with more than 200 homes for low- and middle-income homeowners earning 80 percent or less of area median income (AMI). Recent projects have incorporated green design features to increase the sustainability of land trust homes. The CLT is currently building twelve “net-zero” energy townhomes in area Renton, WA near transit, which will reduce both energy and transit costs for homeowners and help the region meet greenhouse gas reduction goals. Homestead CLT helps to reduce displacement pressures in areas experiencing gentrification and also provides wealth-building opportunities for homeowners who share in the equity from CLT-owned properties. The CLT has supported affordable homeownership opportunities for 238 households across King County, benefiting more than 160 children, and over 57 percent of CLT homeowners are residents of color. Homestead CLT residents have an average AMI of 57 percent and 68 percent of residents are families.