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On World CLT Day, we’re reflecting on what community means and the successes we’ve championed and the barriers we’ve overcome. It’s called a “housing crisis” because the problems in the housing ecosystem are so pervasive that most of us have experienced housing instability, struggled to find affordable housing, rented from slumlords, or been displaced from the communities in which we grew up. Alexa Green knows these struggles first hand. One of KCCLT’s newest homeowners and a recently elected board member, Green’s journey to stable housing is a testament to the impact of community land trusts, and how deeply personal the housing crisis can be. Shortly after the birth of their first child and during a time when their job prospects were uncertain, Green and their wife, Jade, faced transitional homelessness, and were forced to live temporarily with family. They eventually found an affordable apartment (thanks to a $20 move-in special), but because of rising rent, poor maintenance, and recurring pest issues with little response from management, Green knew their family needed more stability. As a single-income family of four, most homes within reach were simply unlivable. Discovering KCCLT was, in their words, “a blessing from the heavens.” Not only were they able to find stable housing, they were able to purchase an affordable, new-build home that aligned with their deep belief in community-owned land. After sitting down with Green, it quickly became clear why KCCLT’s board is intentionally structured to ensure that governance is shaped by the voices of those most impacted by housing insecurity—homeowners and residents of historically under-resourced communities around the Kansas City metro. Here are snippets of our conversation: Dickerson: What was it like when you first moved into your new home and what did it mean to you? Green: It was such a relief to know what the mortgage is going to be for the next 30 years, and the security of knowing that it's our house. It's just kind of a sense of safety and stability. This is our house. [. . .] There’s a lot of peace and security in that. Something I will say that is not talked about a lot about with home ownership is there’s also this undercurrent of stress. Everything is now my problem to deal with. Having the folks at KCCLT for backup, so if I have a pipe burst or something, I can be like, does anybody know a plumber who is going to do work and not going to charge an exorbitant amount. That support has helped ease a lot of worry.” “Housing is just a human right. Everyone deserves access to housing.”
Dickerson: You’ve shared why housing matters to you personally. Can you speak to why affordable housing is important on a broader, community level? Green: Honestly, it's just a human right. It's shelter. It’s just right there with food and clean drinking water. Everyone deserves access to housing. There is no reason I should be driving past lots and lots and lots full of empty houses and empty apartments that are brand new with no one in them. There is no reason that I should be driving past these burned down, broken down, houses that are just being sat on for tax benefits, that are just being sat on until the owners own enough of them to clear the lot and build something new that no one can [afford to] move into. “This might seem a little bit tangential, and not to derail the conversation, but one of the earliest signs of [community] is when we see a thigh bone with clear signs of having been broken and healed. And that means that they had people caring for them [. . .] It shows that there was infrastructure in place to take care of people who could not care for themselves [. . .] At the core of humanity is this desire to take care of our communities, to make sure that everyone is safe and fed and housed, and I think that affordable housing is getting back to our roots and the core of who we are as people.”
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