Wang, R. (2025). Understanding the financial health of community land trusts in the United States. Journal of Urban Affairs, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2025.2554755.
Abstract
This article examines the financial health of community land trusts (CLTs) in the United States. CLTs are nonprofit organizations that ensure long-term community assets and equitable land use, playing a critical role in community development. Despite the importance of financial health to their mission, little is known about their financial performance over time. Using Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data and survey responses, the article found that CLTs are among the financially top-performing community-based development organizations between 2012 and 2021. Further analysis found that CLTs’ financial performances vary based on organizational characteristics such as the organization’s age, location, CLT type, and the presence of shared equity units. The study highlights the need for conceptualizing multidimensional financial indicators that account for both internal and external factors, emphasizing the importance of strategic investments to support CLT’s long-term community-focused goals.
Keywords
Community land trust; Nonprofits; Financial health; Community development; United States