Municipal-CLT Partnerships that Produce and Preserve Affordable Homeownership

City and county governments are always looking for ways to make their investments in affordable housing do more and last longer. That is why a growing number of them are partnering with community land trusts (CLTs). These nonprofit organizations ensure that lands, monies, and regulatory measures used by municipalities to bring homes within the reach of people of modest means will remain affordable for many years, across multiple resales. A recent Policy Focus Report from the Lincoln Institute, Preserving Affordable Homeownership, documents the rise of these municipal-CLT partnerships. In this webinar, municipal leaders and CLT practitioners will discuss the report’s principal findings and describe how their own cities are supporting the production and stewardship of CLT homes with lasting affordability.

Moderator

John Emmeus Davis
Partner, Burlington Associates in Community Development LLC

John Emmeus Davis is a city planner who has spent much of his 40-year career providing
technical assistance to CLTs and documenting their history and performance. He coauthored the Lincoln Institute’s 2008 publication The City-CLT Partnership. He previously served as housing director in Burlington, Vermont, and was dean of the National CLT Academy. He is a partner at Burlington Associates in Community Development LLC, a national consulting cooperative. He is a founding board member of the International Center for CLTs and editor in chief of the center’s imprint, Terra Nostra Press.

Panelists

Evelyn Dobson
CEO and Founder, Delray Beach Community Land Trust

Evelyn S. Dobson is the CEO and founder of the Delray Beach Community Land Trust (DBCLT). Her involvement with the organization began during her tenure as a commissioner for the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. She officially joined DBCLT in January 2007 as operations manager, was appointed interim executive director in November 2008, promoted to executive director in March 2009, and has served as CEO since 2018.

In her role, Evelyn oversees all aspects of program development, policy implementation, and asset management—currently valued at $7.9 million. She works closely with housing partners and affiliates to further the organization’s mission and ensure long-term community impact. With multiple industry certifications, she leads innovative, high-quality programs that respond to evolving housing trends and community needs.

With over 18 years of experience in private property management and development, and eight years in banking, she brings a depth of knowledge and strategic insight to her work that continues to strengthen DBCLT’s mission and legacy.

Ruthzee Louijeune
President, Boston City Council

Ruthzee Louijeune, serving her second term as city councilor at-large and unanimously elected as Boston City Council president, is a grounded, thoughtful, and inclusive leader. A dedicated public servant, Ruthzee is committed to fostering shared prosperity in Boston with a focus on justice and equity. Born and raised in Mattapan and Hyde Park to working-class Haitian immigrants, Ruthzee’s journey is deeply rooted in the fabric of Boston. As a lawyer, Ruthzee fought for families facing eviction and foreclosure in Boston Housing Court. She defended voting rights in cases before the US Supreme Court, helped elect progressive prosecutors nationwide, and served as the senior attorney on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign. A fierce housing advocate, she drafted agreements that secured millions of dollars for first-generation homeowners as a member of Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA).

Additionally, she served as vice chairs of the Committee on Government Operations and Housing and Community Development. In these roles, she advocated for affordable housing and accessible homeownership, resilient, energy-efficient school buildings, teacher diversity, and more supportive services for students—all in an effort to address racial justice and equity. Ruthzee is the first Haitian American elected to municipal government in Boston, the US city with the second-largest Haitian population per capita, and she is the first Haitian American to serve as president of the council. Her multifaceted background and unwavering dedication to serving her community make her a transformative leader shaping the future of Boston.

Erika Malone
Homeownership Division Manager, City of Seattle

With over 25 years of experience in community development, Erika Malone has dedicated her career to advancing sustainable affordable homeownership solutions. As the homeownership division manager at the City of Seattle Office of Housing, she crafts and implements funding policies to support the development of equitable, sustainable, and affordable homeownership opportunities. Her past roles include director of technical assistance for the National Community Land Trust Network (now Grounded Solutions Network), executive director of the Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition, and programs director for Kulshan Community Land Trust in Bellingham, Washington. She is recognized as a national expert and a technical resource for community land trusts across the country.