Who We Are

The National Community Land Trust Network and Cornerstone Partnership are excited to share that we have joined forces to form: Grounded Solutions Network. After 18 months of planning and several years of strong partnership, we’ve formed a new organization, bringing together an extensive network of member practitioners from local communities who have a deep understanding of best practices for the sector. Our goal is to inspire action and reform policies that help create more equitable housing opportunities and inclusive communities across the nation. Learn More …

Our organization’s first duty is to develop resources that help the members of our Network. This website plays a key role in fulfilling this responsibility. It’s intended to be a place to share ideas and lessons learned. This information is designed to both introduce newcomers to the basics about community land trusts (CLTs) and permanently affordable...

The National Community Land Trust Network (the Network) was incorporated in 2006 to provide support and leadership for CLTs around the country. Today the Network also welcomes other organizations that offer homeownership programs with lasting affordability. Along with CLTs, this includes some Community Development Corporations, Community Development Financial Institutions, Habitat for Humanity affiliates, government-based inclusionary zoning programs, and deed-restricted programs that are providing permanently affordable housing.

Guiding Principles

We’ve identified three core principles that embody the values of community land trusts.

Perpetual Affordability and Sustainability

We will create access to land and affordable homes for people of lower incomes, people of color, and others most marginalized in society. We will ensure durability and ongoing affordability for future generations, and create stewardship programs that support residents in achieving long-term success.

Community Stewardship of Land and Assets

We will steward the land for a variety of purposes that benefit the community, such as affordable homes, community based businesses, community supported agriculture, and preservation of green space.

Representative Governance and Community Engagement

We will serve our communities most effectively by involving key stakeholders and residents in decision making for the organization. We will prioritize residents we serve and community empowerment and provide opportunities for our members, board and staff to engage more fully in their community.

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Board of Directors

Maria Benjamin

Director of Homeownership & Below Market Rate Housing

San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing & Community Development

San Francisco, CA

Robert Burns

President & CEO

City First Homes

Washington, DC

Lauren Counts

Sr. Director of Strategy

Capital Impact Partners

Washington, DC

Robert Dowling

Executive Director

Community Home Trust

Carrboro, NC

Sandy Fernandez

Director, National Programs & Strategy, Office of Nonprofit Engagement

JP Morgan Chase & Co.

New York, NY

Diane Linn

Executive Director

Proud Ground

Portland, OR

Mardie Oakes

Executive Director

Hello Housing

San Francisco, CA

Tony Pickett

Vice President – Master Site Development

Urban Land Conservancy

Denver, CO

Melinda Pollack

Vice President

Enterprise Community Partners

Denver, CO

Christopher Ptomey

Senior Director, Government Relations

Habitat for Humanity International

Washington, DC

Jaimie Ross

President & CEO

Florida Housing Coalition

Tallahassee, FL

Tamar Shapiro

President & CEO

Center for Community Progress

Washington, DC

Brenda Torpy

CEO

Champlain Housing Trust

Burlington, VT

Sarita Turner

Associate Director

PolicyLink

Oakland, CA

Jeff Yegian

Housing Division Manager

City of Boulder

Boulder, CO

Staff

Melora Hiller

Executive Director

Melora Hiller has over 20 years of experience working in the world of affordable housing and has worked with numerous CLTs in the Northwest. Prior to becoming the Executive Director, she consulted with nonprofit organizations, foundations and local governments in areas related to organizational development, nonprofit capacity building, strategic planning, and program development. Before becoming a consultant, Melora managed a statewide capacity-building program for housing and community development organizations, including: designing and implementing a technical and organizational development training program for professional staff and board members; overseeing investments in organizational core support for 15 nonprofits; brokering technical assistance capacity grants through an assessment and joint problem-solving approach and referral to appropriate technical consultants. Melora earned her Master’s degree in public administration at Seattle University’s Institute for Public Service. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards and school committees and is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow. Melora is the founding board chair of the Capitol Hill Housing Foundation.

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Jenn Daly

Communications & Fundraising Coordinator

Jenn Daly has over 10 years of communications & fundraising experience in support of an assortment of value-based missions; primarily in the areas of affordable housing and education. She brings a passion for simplifying and communicating complex ideas through multiple channels and expanding funding streams to her role at the Network. Jenn earned her BA in Journalism/Public Relations from California State University, Chico, and furthered her education in fundraising with a Certificate in Fund Raising Management through The Fundraising School at The University of Indiana/Purdue. Jenn lives with her family in Seattle, WA and spends her free time exploring the Pacific Northwest.

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Jessica Grant

Member Services & Operations

Jessica joined the National CLT Network in the beginning of 2008, bringing with her over nine years experience in nonprofit administration. She previously lived in Berkeley, California, working as the Director of Operations for Global Routes. This innovative nonprofit specializes in experiential education in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Prior to moving to Portland, Oregon, Jessica worked for Yosemite Institute as the Site Manager of Crane Flat. She oversaw all daily operations at this environmental education campus, located in northern Yosemite National Park. Just prior to working for the CLT Network, Jessica worked for Outside In, where she managed a county funded program for homeless youth in downtown Portland. In addition to her work with nonprofits, Jessica spent two years working in the classrooms of the Berkeley Unified School District.

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Beth Sorce

Community & Capacity Building Manager

Beth Sorce brings over eight years of affordable housing and shared equity experience to the National CLT Network. She currently lives in Boulder, Colorado. She earned her masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans and has worked as both an urban planner with GCR, Inc. and a Community Development Finance Fellow with Providence Community Housing, a local nonprofit specializing in affordable housing development. She also served on the board of Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, a neighborhood based CLT located in Mid-City. Prior to moving to New Orleans, Beth served as the Director of Training at the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB)—an organization dedicated to creating, supporting and sustaining limited equity cooperatives throughout New York City. She designed and implemented curriculum for co-op residents and staff and served on the management team that oversaw the cooperative development pipeline. In addition to her work experience, Beth has conducted research on the role of CLTs in weak market cities, in the commercial realm and in the development and preservation of Low Income Housing Tax Credit projects.

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Emily Thaden

Research & Policy Development Manager

Emily Thaden joined the National CLT Network in December of 2011. Previously, Emily built and managed a new shared equity homeownership program called Our House at The Housing Fund (THF), a Community Development Financial Institution in Nashville, TN. During her two years at THF, funding for the program’s first 100 homes had been secured, the development of 22 homes was completed, and stewardship policies and practices were established. Additionally, Emily acted as a research consultant for the Network conducting the 2009 CLT Foreclosure and Delinquency Survey and The 2011 Comprehensive CLT Survey. Her work on CLTs has been published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Landlines and working papers and by the National Housing Institute in Shelterforce. Emily completed her doctorate in Community Research & Action at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Her dissertation focused on low-income and minority homeownership and the solution of shared equity homeownership. Her teaching has focused on organizational development, community development, and applied research. During graduate school, she directed a community organizing and documentary photography program with youth in public housing, organized to develop a local Housing Trust Fund, and consulted with the TN Dept. of Human Services to revamp their welfare system. Prior to graduate school, she worked as a researcher and practitioner with youth diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses and as a crisis counselor and curriculum developer for the Anti-Violence Project, which serves LGBTQ communities in New York. She received her undergraduate degree from New York University in Psychology and Gender & Sexuality Studies.

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Jason Webb

Community & Capacity Building Associate

Jason Webb comes to the Network with 25 years of experience in community revitalization, specializing in housing development in his neighborhood of Roxbury in Boston. He spent 15 years working for Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) and Network Member Dudley Neighbors Inc. (DNI), serving in several roles such as Director of Real Estate and Technology, Director of DNI “The Community Land Trust,” and Director of Administration and Finance. He oversaw the development of several community land trust developments and created a youth development / youth jobs program called CommunityScapes. Over the years, this land stewardship and community outreach program has hired significant numbers of youth and young adults, including new immigrants and young people with criminal records.

In addition, he has played a significant role with DSNI’s internal technology capacity as well as the use of technology innovations in the community building process. Jason joined the DSNI staff after a long history of involvement as a dedicated resident volunteer, dating from the age of seven. He was a co-founder of Nubian Roots Youth Committee, and served on the boards of both DSNI and Dudley Neighbors, Inc.

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