Washington State - CLT LEADERS AND INNOVATORS
Washington State is home to at least 22 community land trusts (CLTs) that serve diverse rural and urban communities. CLTS have provided affordable housing for residents of the State of Washington since 1989. Over 1,000 permanently affordable for-sale homes serve CLT owners. CLTs also steward nearly 240 rental homes including Section 8 housing.
Each CLT is led by community members who are responsive to local needs. Washington State CLTs have created significant homeownership opportunities for Black Indigenous and People of Color.
Washington State CLTs have a history of innovation and leadership to advance the capacity of local organizations. We created an industry-standard software application that supports stewardship, designed and delivered two capacity building institutes to catalyze growth of homes in trust throughout the state. We created the Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition as a multi-state model of collaboration.
2024 STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Community land trusts in Washington State work together and in coalition with other affordable homeownership organizations to increase homebuying opportunities for income-qualified households and to close racial disparities in ownership rates. Our priorities for 2024 include:
Increase Affordability for Income-Qualified Buyers
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Extend REET tax exemption on the sale of income-restricted homeownership homes from self-help ownership to all models and types of homes built with public funds.
Address the Crisis of Supply by Funding New Homes
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Fund homeownership development through an historically high Housing Trust Fund allocation, and align funding policies and awards resulting in significantly more homes available to income-qualified households.
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Adopt a sustainable source of funding for the Housing Trust Fund.
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Expand allowable uses of Sales Tax revenue to fund permanently affordable homeownership that serves households up to 80% AMI (100% in rural areas).
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Fund a pilot project to develop mortgage financing for permanently affordable limited equity cooperatives.
Washington CLTs also Support
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Exemption of publicly funding affordable homeownership developments from construction materials sales tax
Washington State Homeownership Support Letter