A community land trust (CLT) is a non-profit organization that stewards affordable housing, community spaces such as gardens, and other community assets on the behalf of and for the good of the community it serves. Here's a little more information about CLTs:

CLTs are classified as tax-exempt and non-profits who receive 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS.

CLTs are focused on the continuous active acquisition of land and development, not on one single project located on one single parcel of land. CLTs are committed to this goal to work on expanding the supply of affordable housing under the CLT's stewardship

The CLT operates within the targeting boundaries of its locale. Any adult who resides in the targeted local is able to become a voting member of the CLT following membership guidelines.

CLTs are usually run by a board of directors whose members include three groups of stakeholders: residents or leaseholders, people who reside within its targeted community but do not live on its land, and lastly the broader public interest. This third group is made up of government officials, funders, housing agencies, and social service providers. Organization bylaws may designate each of these groups a specific and equal number of seats, and they may be elected separately by their constituent groups.

CLTs offer dual ownership of land and resources. It’s intended that land be owned by the trust forever in perpetuity. Any building already located on the land or later constructed on the land can be held by the CLT or sold off to an individual homeowner, a cooperative housing organization, a nonprofit developer of rental housing, or some other nonprofit, governmental, or for-profit entity

The CLT does not disappear once a building is sold. As owner of the underlying land and as owner of an option to repurchase any buildings located on its land, the CLT has an abiding interest in what happens to the structures and to the people who occupy them. The ground lease requires owner-occupancy and responsible use of the premises. Should buildings become a hazard, the ground lease gives the CLT the right to step in and force repairs. Should property owners default on their mortgages, the ground lease gives the CLT the right to step in and cure the default, forestalling foreclosure. The CLT remains a party to the deal, safeguarding the structural integrity of the buildings and the residential security of the occupants.

The CLT retains an option to repurchase any residential (or commercial) structures on its land if their owners ever choose to sell. The resale price is set by a formula contained in the ground lease that is designed to give present homeowners a fair return on their investment but giving future homebuyers fair access to housing at an affordable price. By design and by intent, the CLT is committed to preserving the affordability of housing (and other structures), one owner after another, one generation after another, in perpetuity.

Although CLTs intend never to resell their land, they can provide for the exclusive use of their land by the owners of any buildings located thereon. Exclusive use of parcels of land can be conveyed to individual homeowners or to the owners of other types of residential or commercial structures by long-term ground leases. The two-party contract between the landowner (the CLT) and a building's owner protects the owner's interests in security, privacy, legacy, and equity and enforces the CLT's interests in preserving the appropriate use, the structural integrity and the continuing affordability of any buildings on its land.

Olympic Housing Trust homes are available to individuals and households who reside and work in Jefferson or Clallam counties. For the Dundee Hill Community, we must limit applicants to those whose household incomes are 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Jefferson County, adjusted for family size. Specific requirements and applications will be available when these homes become available.

In the future we aim to provide housing opportunities to working families who have incomes above 80% AMI.

Olympic Housing Trust is not yet accepting homeowner applications, but we will post information on how to apply for our units as soon as we are ready to seek applicants for the

Olympic Housing Trust relies on the donations of community members to sustain basic operations, like book keeping and insurance. OHT has taken steps to move beyond the volunteer work of our board members by hiring on staff and contract support. Undesignated donations will help us achieve this necessary step in our growth.

We are actively fundraising for housing projects, including Dundee Hill, and any donor can direct a gift to the Dundee Hill project by leaving a memo that it is meant for that project.

Absolutely. We refer to this as a retained life estate gift. In this case, the donor would be providing future ownership of the land or house to our charity at a time of their choosing. This approach is advantageous to the donor because they retain rights and use of the property, and unlike simply leaving a gift in a will, the donor will receive immediate tax benefits and potentially be around to see the development of affordable housing from their gift.

Olympic Housing Trust will utilize our existing homeowner application process to facilitate the transfer of ownership to an eligible household, and OHT will retain the ownership of the land itself, as per our CLT model. This approach, with the use of a ground lease and deed restriction, allows the property to remain permanently affordable.

Please reach out to Kellen at info@olympichousingtrust.org for more information.

The best way to help at the moment is to donate and help raise awareness about Olympic Housing Trust and our mission by telling your friends and neighbors about us.

We are a member-based organization, and we are actively seeking new members to build out our organization. Once you have a membership, and you have an interest or skill to off the organization, please consider speaking with us about joining our board or volunteering! Contact info@olympichousingtrust.org or fill out out our contact form.