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Welcome to autumn!

The days are getting shorter, but GSN’s list of accomplishments keeps getting longer. Since July, we’ve gained 12 new members, a mixture of community land trusts, foundations, individuals, and nonprofits, bringing our total membership base to more than 250! Our year-end membership drive will soon kick into high gear, so I’m sure we’ll report another increase next quarter. Our staff is also growing! We onboarded four new colleagues last quarter to fill key positions on our Technology Operations, Technical Assistance, Communications, and Innovative Finance teams. And we’re still hiring! This is such an exciting time for the organization as we continue increasing our capacity and, therefore, our ability to carry out GSN’s important work on a larger scale! I’m looking forward to our upcoming staff retreat in Minneapolis from October 14–16, during which colleagues from throughout the country—including our newest hires—will get to break bread and discuss organizational goals for the coming year and beyond.

I was on the road for much of last quarter, and I had the opportunity to meet with some of our members in Denver and discuss potential investment strategies to drive additional shared equity impact. Most recently, I represented GSN at the Housing Oregon Conference, where I gained valuable insights into the work and perspectives of our members in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, GSN has either helped sponsor or sent staff to various other affordable housing focused events throughout the country:

We were among the sponsors of the California Community Land Trust Network’s Conference [[link removed]], September 12–13;

We sponsored the Community Land Trust & Shared Equity Practitioners Caucus at the Florida Housing Coalition Conference [[link removed]], August 26–28;

We were represented at PolicyLink’s Equity Summit 2024 [[link removed]], August 26–28; and

Several team members traveled to Chicago to meet with a diverse group of organizations committed to expanding affordable housing access (more on that below).

The end of our third quarter marks the start of an exciting time for the organization! I look forward to sharing our various major network accomplishments for this year during the annual member virtual meeting on Tuesday, December 10, from 2-3pm ET. I mentioned ramping up our membership drive above, and we’ve also started planning for our national conference, which will take place from May 27–29 in Washington, D.C. May will be here before you know it so mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details to come!

A Seattle home for under $300,000? Yes, but with some strings attached

When Jarrod Kluk and Erandeni Hernandez bought their condo in Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood in December, their bank appraised its value at $530,000. But when it came time to close, the couple paid just $278,000, with a 5% down payment.

Read the Article [[link removed]]

Fort Worth’s New Community Land Trust Aims to Keep Homes Affordable

Community Land Trusts have been kicked around in North Texas for years as an affordable housing option for residents who want to age in place or stay in the community they grew up in. Fort Worth is forging ahead with its new land trust, poised to build and renovate homes on a 15-acre site purchased from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Read the Article [[link removed]]

ForEveryoneHome Cohort Visits Nashville

Members of our ForEveryoneHome [[link removed]] cohort from Mecklenburg Co., N.C., and DuPage Co., Ill., visited Nashville in mid-September to discuss their Housing Action Plans, prepare for policy creation and implementation, learn from local leaders, and prepare for drafting and implementing their respective housing policies. During the visit, they met with Ed Henley, a local affordable housing developer and a shared-equity homeowner himself! The local governments of Mecklenburg Co., N.C., and DuPage Co., Ill. have been engaged with Grounded Solutions Network and our partners at Up For Growth for more than a year now, trading ideas and learning about policies that promote housing creation, with an emphasis on housing with lasting affordability.

Land for Lasting Affordable Housing: A Day of Learning from Emerging National Best Practices

On September 11, 2024, Grounded Solutions Network convened more than 70 Chicago Community Land Trusts, shared equity housing practitioners, affordable housing organizations, state and city policymakers, planners, public land-holding jurisdictions, and housing advocacy groups for a day of learning with national peers. Representatives from the Houston Community Land Trust (HCLT), Atlanta Land Trust (ALT), and Metro Atlanta Land Bank (MALB) discussed how their collaborative efforts and innovation have elevated lasting affordable housing as a top priority for private and public funding, policy, and broad stakeholder buy-in in their regions.

Land for Lasting Affordable Housing: A Day of Learning from Emerging National Best Practices began with highlights from Atlanta and Houston on leveraging public land to increase lasting affordable housing. MALB shared its journey of creating its Long-term Housing Affordability Disposition Policy, which evolved from the success of an initial Pilot program in direct partnership with ALT. HCLT discussed how forging partnerships to create home designs that allow higher density infill and activate Houston Land Bank Authority’s odd-sized lots will create a new development pipeline of homes affordable to households at and below 60% AMI.

Chicago housers spent the afternoon engaging with their local and national peers, drawing from the morning's inspiration to discuss how they can tap the current momentum supporting lasting affordable housing in Chicago and increase access and affordability in their communities. With initiatives such as the $15 million Community Wealth Building [[link removed]] pilot and recently-launched Shared Equity Investment Program [[link removed]], local practitioners have plenty to build on.  We are excited to see how the insights and peer relationships with colleagues in Houston and Atlanta can help guide the work forward.

Grounded Solutions Media Highlights

Hungry for affordable housing, communities turn to land trusts

Route Fifty - September 24, 2024

Route Fifty recently spoke with Technical Assistance Director James Yelen and Board Member Michael Monte in a short profile on community land trusts and current trends in the field.

Read the Article [[link removed]]

Buying a house? Four unconventional ways to become a homeowner.

USA Today - September 13, 2024

National Policy Director Brian Stromberg spoke with USA Today about how community land trusts can provide not just a pathway to homeownership but also long-term stability and community strength.

Read the Article [[link removed]]

The third quarter of 2024 was extremely busy for our national policy team. First, we submitted a  comment [[link removed]] on a long-awaited proposed rule for HUD’s HOME program. This proposed rule includes changes that would make the HOME program more accessible and more effective for community land trusts and other shared equity organizations. We also submitted our  comment [[link removed]] on the 2025-2027 Duty to Serve plans from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Our comments urge them to continue standardization in shared equity homeownership lending and to expand their efforts to grow their field. We are meeting regularly with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), to provide feedback and guidance as their plans are finalized and implemented.

It’s that time again! Our next TIO series is just around the corner.

Shared Equity Homeownership:

Basics and Beyond

October 23-24

Affordable Pricing and Resale Formulas for Shared Equity Homeownership

November 6-7

Join our Fall Training Institute Online Series! For more information about these courses and to register, please sign into our learning platform.

Training Institute Online [[link removed]]

Members Only: Nominate Yourself for the Grounded Solutions Board of Directors

Grounded Solutions Network reserves six seats on our Board of Directors for Practitioner Directors. Two of our current Practitioner Directors, Michael Monte (Champlain Housing Trust) and Garrick Good (North East Housing Initiative), are reaching the end of their first term on the Board. Please join us in thanking them for their service!

While Michael and Garrick are eligible to serve another term on the Board, any Grounded Solutions Network member who wishes to nominate themself for a Practitioner Director seat may do so. Per our bylaws and the current composition of our Board, only members who currently work in community land trust programs may nominate themselves.

Board members are expected to attend quarterly meetings via webinar and an in-person annual retreat, serve on a committee, fundraise, actively promote the organization, and cultivate important relationships on our behalf.

We ask that any members considering Board service reach out to [[email protected]] to learn more before completing our application form [[link removed]].

The self-nomination process is open until October 11, 2024.

HomeKeeper Onboarding & Training Specialist

The HomeKeeper Onboarding & Training Specialist will conduct user onboarding and training, creating systems, digital content, and training courses that will optimize the user's adoption experience with HomeKeeper under the management of the User Experience & Learning Manager.

Director of Membership

We’re seeking a Director of Membership dedicated to building and harnessing the collective power of Grounded Solutions’ 250+ members, so that we can drive transformative solutions in scaling housing with lasting affordability, particularly within BIPOC, under-invested, and marginalized communities. This pivotal role involves crafting and guiding our overarching membership strategy, expanding our member base, and ensuring the delivery of tangible and impactful benefits for our members. This position demands exceptional interpersonal skills, problem-solving acumen, and a collaborative approach to working with staff, members, and partners. We seek a proactive, results-oriented strategic thinker adept at managing multiple deadlines and intricacies. A proven commitment to advancing initiatives promoting racial equity is essential.

Open Positions [[link removed]] Save The Date for our 2025 Conference

The Grounded Solutions Network Conference is back! Mark your calendars for May 27-29 in Washington, D.C.

For information about opportunities to sponsor the Grounded Solutions Network 2025 Housing Conference, contact VP of Development Cielo Contreras at [[email protected]].

Policy. Practice. Power. [[link removed]] Where we live matters.

We bring together an extensive network of partners and member practitioners from local communities who have a deep understanding of best practices in community land trusts, shared equity housing, local housing policies such as inclusionary zoning, and more.

At Grounded Solutions Network, we know what policies and strategies work to build and preserve housing opportunities, and we help communities use them.

Grounded Solutions Network

PO Box 70724

Oakland, CA

94612

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