PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach is seeking a qualified organization with experience in affordable housing, and trust among Long Beach residents and neighborhood organizations, to establish and operate a Community Land Trust (CLT) Program.

The City has launched a Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the establishment of a CLT Program as part of the City’s strategic goal to build stronger communities through investments in housing and neighborhoods. With this RFP, the City seeks to grant one-time start-up funds to a selected organization that will operate a CLT, independently acquire properties that will be held by the land trust, and pilot a low-income ownership model, thereby increasing the affordable housing stock. A CLT is a non-profit organization that raises funds, acquires and develops real estate with the goal of providing permanently affordable housing opportunities. This initiative also supports the City’s strategic goals towards preserving housing affordability and preventing unwanted market-driven displacement of low-income households from the neighborhoods in which they live.

All criteria and specific details, including program scope, eligibility requirements and submission instructions, are available in an RFP that was launched today and posted on Long Beach Buys. Eligible organizations are encouraged submit proposals through Long Beach Buys by 11 a.m. (PST) on Jan. 31, 2023.

To be eligible, organizations must meet the following criteria:

• Experience with sales and ground lease agreements, tenant opportunities to purchase, housing cooperatives, or other successfully implemented similar projects.
• Experience evaluating feasibility and structure of affordable housing deals or working with local housing developers or non-profits that provide long-term affordable housing.
• Successful experience accessing funding sources.
• Demonstrated leadership among Long Beach residents and housing or neighborhood organizations.
• Knowledge of best practices in housing around long-term affordability and shared equity models, especially community land trusts, and tools that complement these models.
• Knowledge of complex multi-jurisdictional cooperative efforts with shared leadership, resources and authority.
• Connection with Long Beach disadvantaged populations.
• Ability to convene community stakeholders to gather and analyze input in a culturally appropriate manner.
• Ability to conduct outreach and community engagement in Long Beach across the city’s established languages of English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog.

This program is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act, a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for Long Beach residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of $5 million has been allocated to support housing programs, which includes prioritizing affordable housing opportunities for residents adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.

The Community Land Trust also aligns with Goal 4 of Long Beach’s Racial and Reconciliation Initiative to explore investment in alternative forms of land/property ownership to prevent displacement, such as community land trusts.

Media inquiries can be directed to Rick de la Torre, Community Information Officer, Long Beach Department of Development Services, 562.570.7174 or Richard.Delatorre@longbeach.gov.