Catalytic Land Cohort
Since 2019 Grounded Solutions Network convened Atlanta Land Trust, Houston Community Land Trust, and Proud Ground in Portland, OR, in the Catalytic Land Cohort. Through this initiative, they receive technical assistance, strategic planning, peer learning and community engagement support, with a specific focus on increasing homeownership opportunities for Black and POC households. To do this, the Cohort have formalized collaborative community partnerships to create actionable strategies to increase affordable housing production and increase homeownership opportunities for Black and POC households.
Atlanta
The Atlanta Catalytic Land Cohort Team focuses on advancing the partnership between Atlanta Land Trust (ALT) and Metro Atlanta Land Bank Authority (MALBA), to meet housing goals and community visions put forth in the City of Atlanta’s, One Atlanta: Housing Affordability Plan. The Plan to create or preserve 20,000 affordable homes with a $1 billion dollar investment by 2026, explicitly calls out leveraging vacant and publicly owned land and expanding the number of homes with lasting affordability.
Houston
The Houston Catalytic Land Cohort team is focused on advancing the housing goals and community visions developed through the Complete Communities Action Plans. As of 2023, the City of Houston developed and invested $24.6M into the Homebuyer Choice Program which creates a Houston Community Land Trust (HCLT) purchase option for low – income homebuyers. Through HCP there are HCLT homeowners in over 18 different neighborhoods and suburbs throughout the Houston metro area.
Portland
The Portland Catalytic Land Cohort Team’s focus on increasing land ownership for lasting affordability and community benefit, specifically for BIPOC Communities. The community need is to organize collaborative efforts to create a coalition more focused on execution of land assembly for affordable housing by influencing property holding entities to dedicate parcels for lasting affordable housing and community benefit.
