About Us

A scenic landscape of lush green trees in the foreground, rolling hills in the middle distance, and a clear blue sky with minimal clouds in the background.

Addressing Western North Carolina’s Housing Needs

What is a community land trust?

Community Land Trusts are an innovative solution to the rising costs of housing across the country.

Established in 2025, Community Land Trust of WNC (CLTofWNC) is a nonprofit organization that de-commodifies land, ensuring perpetual affordability. We empower our community to secure permanent affordable, quality housing and protect vital natural resources, creating a more equitable and sustainable future for the region.

A family of three sitting on the front porch of a house. The mother and father are interacting with a toddler son, who is sitting on the father's lap. The porch has a pillar with stonework and a porch light. The house has gray siding, a window with shutters, and a white garage door. There are flowers and plants in the garden area in front of the porch.

A Modern, Proven Approach

A community land trust (CLT) is a community-controlled vehicle for permanent affordability. The CLT owns the land, sells the houses, and maintains the sale (or resale) of those houses over time to maintain affordability, with a community-controlled board to empower long term economic stability of a region. This creates “community control” over the development of land where people live.

Learn more
An infographic titled "How CLTs work" explains the process of Community Land Trusts, with illustrations of houses, sale signs, handshakes, and hands holding houses. The steps include CLT owning land and building homes, selling homes at reduced prices, buyers maintaining equity, and owners selling homes anytime or as gifts.

Why CLTs Are The Answer

Rising Costs

The average listing price has doubled in 5 years in McDowell County.

Stagnant Incomes

Average incomes cannot keep up with these housing prices.

Lack of Available Housing

In addition to doubled housing prices, Old Fort has increased short-term rentals. More than 1 in 4 households in McDowell County live in mobile homes.

A Proven Model

We are the proven model that is turning it around and we have the ability to move fast. 


Catawba Hills

CLT of WNC's first community development project is in McDowell County, NC. It will include trails, recreational areas, community gardens, affordable homeownership, and a state-of-the-art resilience hub for community building.

Learn more
Map of Catawba Hills showing community center, playground, community garden, conservation land and trails, greenway, playing field, and farm in Western North Carolina, with arrows indicating directions.

Get Involved.

CLTs strengthen communities.
Be a part of ours.

Contact Us
A pie chart titled 'We’re Community-Led!' showing that the board of directors must be two-thirds community members, with sections labeled 'Community Development Experts' and 'Community Members', and circles indicating one-third.

Our Values

  • Looking up at a tall tree with lush green leaves and sunlight filtering through the branches.

    Housing is a human right.

    Safe, stable housing isn't a privilege, it's the foundation that healthy and thriving individuals, workforces, and communities are built on. We work every day to make that foundation accessible to more people.

  • Close-up of white dogwood flowers with green leaves and a blurred background.

    Every person is valued.

    We engage everyone we encounter with respect, care, and without judgment. Every person has a valuable perspective and ideas worth hearing regardless of education, class, race, age, or abilities. 

  • A small waterfall flowing over rocks in a dense green forest with sunlight filtering through trees.

    Our work is community-driven and community-owned.

    We listen and follow through. We don't build communities for people, we build them with people. The residents we serve know their needs best, and our job is to help bring their vision to life.

  • A landscape of multiple mountain ridges fading into the distance with soft pastel colors during either sunrise or sunset.

    We take care of ourselves so we can take care of others.

    Rest and recovery are essential to well-being. We honor the full lives of our team; the hard days, the competing demands, the need to step away because sustainable work requires sustainable people. We approach each other with compassion and empathy, seeking to better understand one another and assuming good intentions.

  • A field of wildflowers, primarily purple and blue, with tall grass and plants, illuminated by sunlight.

    We are stronger together.

    We invest deeply in relationships with partners, neighbors, residents, and community. We show up as the kind of collaborator we would 'd want to work with; moving at the speed of trust and with respect and appreciation for others doing this work. 

  • Holly leaves and berries covered in snow.

    We have fun at every opportunity.

    Never miss a chance to celebrate. We celebrate our community and our wins. There is joy in the mission and in this work.