Informe sobre el paper i l'encaix de les administracions públiques en estructures tipus Community Land Trust

The report “Informe sobre el paper i l’encaix de les administracions públiques en estructures tipus Community Land Trust” is produced by La Dinamo Fundació, a Barcelona‑based organisation dedicated to promoting affordable and cooperative housing. Authored by Maite Arrondo and Rylan Shewmaker of the European CLT Network, the study analyses how Community Land Trusts (CLTs) operate across Europe and how public administrations can support their establishment and scaling. Its aim is to provide La Dinamo with practical recommendations for creating a Catalan‑scale CLT that safeguards housing assets from market‑driven speculation.

The document reviews three “umbrella” CLTs – London CLT, CLT Brussel‑les and Cornwall CLT (with its partner Middlemarch CLH) – selected for their longevity (over ten years), geographic diversity (urban, peri‑urban and rural) and established partnerships with public bodies. It also examines two newer European CLTs, Lovaina and Torí, to illustrate contrasting top‑down and bottom‑up approaches. The analysis combines secondary documentary research with comparative case studies, focusing on governance structures, financing mechanisms, land‑allocation tools and public‑sector collaborations.

All examined CLTs employ tripartite governance that includes residents, community representatives and public or institutional members. Funding is typically a mix of public grants, community share offers, philanthropic donations and, where available, revolving loan funds. Notable examples include:

• London CLT’s 2016 Community Share Offer raised £489 000 for the St Clements project.
• CLT Brussel‑les receives an annual €500 000 regional grant and additional investment subsidies.
• Cornwall CLT benefits from a revolving loan fund initially £1 million (2009) and later a £4 million second fund, enabling over 200 affordable homes. These mechanisms demonstrate that sustained public financing and community capital are essential for long‑term viability.

The report identifies several policy levers that public administrations can deploy:

• Inclusive zoning – mandating a percentage of affordable units in new developments.
• Section 106 style agreements – obligating developers to allocate land or units to CLTs.
• Public land cession based on social value – allowing CLTs to acquire land below market price.
• Guarantees for revolving loan facilities – reducing risk for private lenders. Successful applications of these tools are evident in London’s St Clements project (Section 106) and the planned land transfer for CLT Lovaina, where the municipality will transfer ownership after construction.

The comparative data show that while the UK provides a clear statutory framework for CLTs (Housing and Regeneration Act 2008), other jurisdictions rely on existing legal forms (e.g., ASBL in Belgium) or ad‑hoc municipal support. The report highlights that the lack of a dedicated CLT legal status in many EU countries does not preclude effective implementation, provided strong public‑sector partnerships exist. The emerging CLTs in Lovaina and Torí illustrate how municipal seed funding (€5 million for Lovaina) and community‑driven financing (social loan for Torí) can kick‑start new models even without specific legislation.

Based on the case study evidence, the authors propose the following actions for La Dinamo and Catalan authorities:

1. Establish a tripartite governance board that includes municipal representatives, housing NGOs and future residents.
2. Create a revolving loan fund backed by the regional government to finance land acquisition and early‑stage development.
3. Adopt inclusive zoning ordinances that require a minimum share of CLT‑derived affordable units in new projects.
4. Negotiate land‑transfer agreements with the Catalan Department of Territory, valuing land on social impact rather than market price.
5. Launch a community share offer to raise initial capital and build local ownership. These steps aim to replicate the successful funding and governance patterns observed across the examined European CLTs while adapting them to the Catalan policy environment.

If implemented, the suggested framework could enable the delivery of several hundred permanently affordable homes within the next decade, preserving land as a community asset and reducing speculative pressures on the housing market. The report underscores that CLTs align with broader sustainability goals by promoting long‑term tenure security, encouraging community stewardship of land and supporting socially inclusive urban development across Europe.