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Minnesota is grappling with an affordable housing crisis. In Ramsey County, where a typical home costs more than $325,000, homeownership remains out of reach for many families. Tens of thousands of households are dedicating half or more of their income to housing, and with wages stagnant and rents continuously climbing, too many families are forced into impossible choices between food, child care and a roof over their heads. This deepening crisis, exacerbated by a persistent housing shortage, demands real, proven solutions.
This past legislative session, lawmakers at the State Capitol showed bipartisan interest in tackling affordable housing, with new bills introduced to expand opportunities. While this momentum is encouraging, a uniquely powerful and permanently effective solution that lawmakers must not overlook is the community land trust (CLT) model.
The Trump administration’s budget request for fiscal year 2026 includes historic cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), proposing a staggering 44% reduction overall. This “skinny” budget proposes to drastically redesign HUD’s housing programs, consolidating them into block grants and imposing two-year time limits on assistance. If enacted, this would lead to an unprecedented loss of housing support, directly affecting nearly 60,000 households currently relying on programs like the highly successful emergency housing voucher (EHV). This is not merely a technical budget adjustment; it is a dangerous direction that threatens and reverses years of hard-won progress.
Here’s how our model ensures every dollar invested delivers lasting impact: When a family with low-to-moderate income purchases a home through Rondo CLT, they gain immediate affordability because they buy only the house, while the land remains held in trust by the community for 99 years. This unique structure removes the speculative cost of land, making homeownership accessible. But the impact doesn’t stop there. When these families are ready to sell, a resale formula ensures they build equity, gaining back their mortgage principal, value for improvements and 25% of the appreciated value, while the home remains affordable for the next modest-income family. This means a single investment in a CLT home keeps delivering affordable opportunities for generations, without needing continuous new taxpayer funds for each subsequent sale.
At the Rondo Community Land Trust, we see daily how far a strategic investment in the CLT model can go and why federal commitment is so vital. The CLT model is not a temporary fix; it’s a permanent solution that creates enduring stability and builds generational wealth, especially in communities like Rondo. Our roots are firmly planted in the Rondo neighborhood, a community scarred by the displacement of more than 700 homes and 300 businesses when Interstate Hwy. 94 was built through it decades ago. Our work is restoring that lost wealth and opportunity, and the need has never been greater. We have more than 80 families currently on our waiting list.
Rondo CLT, established in 1993, was the first CLT in Minnesota, and in 2019 we innovated further by applying the land trust model to commercial uses. We lease commercial space at just $7 per square foot in Ramsey County, well below the average of over $24. This opens doors for local entrepreneurs and small businesses to launch and flourish, like Golden Thyme Restaurant, keeping wealth circulating within the community and addressing critical workforce shortages. Our model facilitates not just homeownership but economic mobility and financial independence, truly providing a pathway to the American dream.
