CLT
Many housing co-ops use land held by the CHF BC-created Community Land Trust. The relationship between these co-ops and CLT typically sees CLT taking an active and leading role in long-term asset management and maintenance. This gives co-ops some unique features, which our resources aim to address.
The idea of community land trusts in North America dates back to the civil rights movement in the United States. In BC, serious thought about land trusts for housing started in the 1990s. By 2001, there was a fledging organization working with a half-dozen housing co-ops. In 2015, CHF BC’s Community Land Trust (CLT) launched as a non-profit body capable of both development and holding property. A growing number of co-ops are now affiliated with CLT, including most of the new co-ops that have been established since 2017. The CLT also supports a smaller number of non-profit housing societies and partner organizations.
The new co-ops work with CLT in a holistic way, connected both by the underlying land they use and by comprehensive services that aim to ensure the long-term maintenance and success of the buildings.
Co-ops connected to CLT include: Aaron Webster, Bakerview, Fraserview, Fraserview Towers, Kinship, McHardy Street, North Arm, Railyard, Sawmill and Sunshine.
You can learn more about CLT and its portfolio at cltrust.ca.