Mechanisms to Improve Health Through Community Land Trusts

Community land trusts (CLTs) provide long-term affordable housing and offer a range of mechanisms that may improve the health and well-being of low-income households. We sought to elucidate these mechanisms through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of CLT staff and residents across the USA. Stakeholders most frequently identified improvements in mental health that come through increased housing stability and affordability. Other factors—including the ways that CLTs promote wealth generation, improvements in housing quality and neighborhood amenities, services and partnerships with healthcare organizations, and democratic governance—were raised by respondents though less frequently tied to health benefits. CLTs represent a promising area for future research on housing’s impact on health.