The inspiring story of three communities that have found an empowering way to bring the American dream of owning a home to low-income residents. Community land trusts (CLTs) make housing permanently affordable by giving ownership of the land to local community groups and eliminating the usual spiral of land price speculation. Through the personal stories, tenacity and vision of community activists in Durham, North Carolina; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Burlington, Vermont, audiences are compelled to rethink their assumptions about affordable housing and community development in the United States.
A GroundSpark production
Producer/Director: Helen S. Cohen; Director: Debra Chasnoff
TRAILER
'Homes and Hands' never fails to move and inspire people who tend to feel disenfranchised and left out of the planning process. They see that they can actually take matters into their own hands and have an impact on their communities.
—Hank Herrera, Planner, Northeast Neighborhood Alliance Community Land Corporation, Rochester, NY
An extraordinarily informative and inspiring film that presents a clear and vivid description of how land trusts work and why they are an attractive mechanism for providing affordable housing and developing strong communities. A terrific teaching resource for courses in urban studies, housing and community development.
—William M. Rohe, Professor, Department of City and Regional Planning University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The principles embodied in community land trusts and brought to life in this powerful film are lessons that should be incorporated into all federal, state and municipal housing initiatives.
—Rachel B. Bratt, professor and chair, department of urban and environmental policy, Tufts University
