The Fort Worth Community Land Trust (FWCLT) continues to gain momentum in its mission to make homeownership more accessible to working families across the city. With the city’s housing affordability crisis growing—over half of renters now spend more than 30% of their income on rent—the land trust model offers a promising solution rooted in community stability and long-term affordability.
FWCLT’s first project is the redevelopment of a 15-acre former seminary property at Carroll Park. The plan is to create hundreds of homes for residents earning between 60% and 120% of the area’s median income. Unlike traditional ownership, residents will purchase homes while the trust retains ownership of the land, significantly lowering upfront costs and helping keep prices affordable over time.
Since launching in mid-2024, FWCLT has hired its first executive director, Becky Gligo, who is leading the charge alongside a dedicated board of community leaders and nonprofit partners. The organization is preparing to build a model home by early 2025 and will host community meetings to gather input on design and integration into the neighborhood.
Gligo emphasizes that the land trust’s approach is centered on people who are already serving the city—teachers, nurses, first responders—who simply need a different path to homeownership. The trust will offer a range of home types, from one-bedroom cottages to family-sized homes and townhouses, all built to reflect and complement the surrounding community.
The team is also working to educate realtors and lenders about the land trust model to ensure that when homes are ready, families are ready too. As Sarah Geer of the Rainwater Charitable Foundation put it, the goal is to “lift stress, increase stability, and open doors to opportunity.”
Read the full article from Fort Worth Report:
Fort Worth’s inaugural land trust charts new path for affordable homeownership
